A locked post box in the north of the island is causing problems for a local business.

Sara Goodwins, who works at Loaghtan Books, has been hit by the closure as her business relies on the box for shipments to customers.

She has been urging the Isle of Man Post Office to reopen it.

The postbox at Dreemskerry, Maughold, has been closed for almost six months because the lock on the box needs replacing with an approved Post Office lock that has to come from the UK.

It has been labelled as ’temporarily closed’ and Sara was told that the closure would only last 10 days.

She said: ’It was originally closed six months ago for two to three weeks.

’It then was open for three days but closed again after a month.

’We got in touch with the post office about it because we use it regularly.

’We were told the lock was faulty and they needed to source one from the UK which was supposed to take 10 days.’

It was closed for a further four and a half months before being open for a short time and then closed again.

Sara explained it was regularly used by the public before being closed.

’It’s not just me that uses it,’ she said. ’It’s a fairly well used box, it’s on a road that people can just pull in next to and drop stuff in.’

The business owner felt a new box should be put in place if the new lock wasn’t possible.

She continued: ’Six months for a post box to be replaced is a very long time.

’If we can’t have a new lock then can we have a new box?

’The next one closest to us is a mile away, and large letters and parcels don’t fit - Christmas cards wouldn’t fit even.

’That one isn’t useful to us at all.’

She added that no buses go past her business to go to Ramsey so she has to catch the tram instead.

’But the tram is seasonal, so in winter we won’t be able to get to Ramsey, which will make it much more difficult.’

The post office has offered for those who work at Loaghtan Books to give their post to the post officer but Sara has said they do not call every day and this method relies on them ’catching him’.

When contacted by Sara, the Isle of Man Post Office explained that the locksmith was struggling to source a lock to fit the box.

They explained that once a new lock had been located and shipped over, they would open the box again.