A postmistress is urging the elderly and vulnerable to stay at home and for others to help them.

Sylvia Ainley, postmistress at Bridport Post Office, is calling for people to help and to set up a list of local, trustworthy volunteers who can support them.

She said: “The message we want to get out is for people to social distance and for elderly, vulnerable people to be able to stay at home and not come out and do unessential things. We need a network of volunteers to help them and for people to accept it is necessary. One of the things we’ve hears is ‘it’s a lovely sunny day, if you think I’m staying in you’re wrong’.

“We have been asking people if they have got somebody else to pick this up for you because we’re happy for others to do that and pay bills if they are, but a lot don’t have anyone.

“The truth is, there is quite a lot of elderly people who don’t have anybody, their neighbours are elderly, their offspring don’t live locally, and they don’t know where to turn to to begin with.

“We want to be able to hand out a list of people who can help them. We need a list of local, trustworthy volunteers that those people will feel comfortable with picking up cash and paying their bills. Please somebody help them, give them the reassurance. Let’s get a list of volunteers who can help them stay at home.”

Around 30 people came into the post office on Monday morning to pick up pensions, draw out cash, pay bills and other banking jobs. There was also a large amount of people in over the weekend.

Sylvia added: “I cannot begin to say how upset I was on Saturday with the market on and people coming in to say they were on holiday.

“For the last three weeks we have been cleaning our skin off, cleaning the counters and being really careful and then there were lots of people. It is an awful feeling.”

The post office offers banking services for around 30 different banks and is trying to encourage people to use card rather than cash where possible. However, the post office’s income is dropping.

Sylvia added: “Predominantly, all of the independent businesses in town bank through us, so immediately overnight that dropped our income because our remuneration is based on transaction. We want to stay open to offer a service to people, but it is costing us financially. I am very empathetic that every business is in the same situation, but because we are being asked to stay open, our remuneration is reduced but our overheads are the same.

“My team are amazing, but they are all taking a hit now and risking their health.”

The post office has reduced its opening hours to 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.