A RURAL post office that faced closure if its owners were not successful in finding someone to take it on may have been offered a ray of light.

Harold and Shelia Benson are seeking someone to take on Witherslack Post Office and shop, which has been owned by their family since before 1900, when Mrs Benson, the present postmistress retires in the coming months.

But, despite the post office and shop being placed on the market several months ago, the couple had not received any interest and feared the post office could close within six months if no alternative was found.

That was until a story about the post office's plight appeared in last week's Westmorland Gazette now the couple say they have received interest in the post office from as far a field as Thailand.

Mrs Benson explained: "We have had two inquiries, which is more than we have had before. One was a person from Thailand who was originally from Windermere.

"We are going to speak to the company, which we have been dealing with, but we will have to wait and see what is going to happen. We can now only keep our fingers crossed," she said.