Residents in part of Ashford will continue to be left without a Post Office after their previous shop closed down.

Bosses say they have been unable to find a replacement for the Bockhanger shop in Kennington after it shut for good last year.

The previous site had been run by Sunny Dhanda for 16 years before it closed in February of last year due to a lack of custom.

Mr Dhanda, who also runs Dhanda Stores which is in the same parade of shops as the former Post Office, said the loss of the 50-year-old Bockhanger Community Centre had hurt footfall at his site.

In 2019, a petition campaigning for a replacement community hub attracted 1,700 signatures, but was rejected by Ashford Borough Council.

The previous store has now opened as a barber's shop, while residents in the surrounding area have been left having to use the Post Office in Faversham Road as their nearest alternative.

Since its closure, the Post Office has been searching for a replacement, but has not been successful.

In a letter to residents, network provision lead Samantha Coe said a new shop is unlikely to materialise unless there are "significant changes in the area in the future".

"While we will always look to reopen branches when they close, we cannot commit to doing so in every instance at this time," she said.

"Due to the effects of coronavirus on retail businesses, this remains a challenging environment in which to operate.

"We would of course consider any appropriate options if there are any significant changes in the area in the future.

"However due to the length of time the branch has been closed, we would need to satisfy ourselves that any new opportunity would be sustainable for both Post Office Ltd and the operator."

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