POST Office bosses have delivered bad news on the future of a Greenock branch after a search for a new operator proved fruitless.

The Brisbane Street branch shut last August after the postmaster in charge of it pulled out.

A year on, the Post Office have now confirmed there is almost no chance that it will reopen.

A Post Office spokesman told the Tele that they 'regret we have been unable to restore a service locally'.

They said: "So far we have received no interest or formal applications for the position.

"As there have been no suitable opportunities to re-establish a service, this branch will remain closed.

"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."

Inverclyde MP Ronnie Cowan wrote to the post office following the closure of the Brisbane Street branch last year in a plea for it to be salvaged.

But he believes the root causes of the problem have not been addressed.

He said: "The footfall has been reduced and with it the financial gains of running a branch have been reduced time and time again.

"Post Offices have become an addition to convenience stores and if the proprietor can make more money using the shopfloor space for other purposes then they are at liberty to do so.

"I wrote to the Post Office on the Brisbane Street issue and three others last year.

"The problem is that Post Office services have been reducing for decades.

"Many of the functions that were the sole preserve of the Post Office have either been farmed out or automated.

"For instance car road tax is now purchased online, stamps can be purchased in many stores and benefits are paid directly into bank accounts."

The MP says he is concerned that the loss of postal facilities compounds bank branch closures and means free access to cash dwindles.

He added: "Each time a Post Office closes we lose one path to cash and with ATMs being withdrawn at an alarming rate, access to cash is becoming an increasing concern.

"We have to be confident going forward that with a cashless society we are not ostracising people on low incomes.

"With each Post Office closure this becomes a real possibility

"The UK Government has to take a serious look at this issue and develop a long term strategy where shops can host Post Offices that are viable and continue to provide valuable services to their community."