A POST office in Bournemouth is to reopen this weekend, thanks to the support of the local community.

A blaze ripped through the back of the Bradpole Road Post Office in the early hours of Saturday April 17, estimating the shop’s storerooms, office and part of the shop itself.

However, less than six weeks after the incident, the post office and One Stop store is ready to reopen with its full range of services on Saturday, May 29.

Owner Brin Kasi said: “It has been absolutely tiring work, lot of work and uncertainty. We have not had a penny from the insurance company so far.

“The post office is still the same and so it the post office, but customers will find it a bit different as we have had to put in some temporary works, and thew storage area isn’t fully complete yet.

“It has been rollercoaster ride to get to this stage and we are nearly there.”

The shop has been donated over £2,000 from residents on Strouden Park, as well as £500 from Castle Hair Studio and £700 from Eventides Homes, a retirement home close to the store.

“My Strouden Park community have been absolutely brilliant to me, added Brin.

“Without me knowing, they had organised between themselves a fundraiser and everyone chipped in. I didn’t know anything about it and a week or so ago, some of them came to the shop and handed me the money.

“I initially said that I can’t take this, but they said to me ‘you have supported us during the pandemic last year, now it is time that we supported you’.

“When they said that, it really brought a tear to my eye.”

Thanks to the help of his staff and the Post Office, Brin said he is looking forward to welcoming back customers inside his store this weekend.

He said: “I just want to say thank you to the community. It has been a lot of hard work and working longest days, from around 7am to 9pm at night, getting this place back on its feet.

“My staff have been amazing; they have worked flat out.

“They have been here pretty much every day without expectation, so a lot of praise needs to go to them.”