SHOPPERS will be able to post a parcel or buy Christmas stamps while in Bolton town centre on a Thursday night.

For the first time, the main post office in Deansgate will open every Thursday evening until Christmas.

Manager Mark Brooks hopes the venture will be well received by the public.

The post office will open on December 4, 11 and 18, from 9am until 8pm.

He said: “We wanted to give our customers a choice and we looked at the opening hours of other major retailers in Bolton town centre and decided to fall in with them.

“Traditionally, we are very busy at Christmas and this gives people the option of coming along in the evening.

“If they work in the town centre they can pop in after work, or if they are Christmas shopping, they can come along and buy stamps or use any of our other services while they are out and about in the evening.

“We wanted to give something back to our customers and hope it will be a popular decision.”

Only a handful of main post offices are going to be open locally on Thursday evenings, including Manchester and Oldham. Smaller post offices will not be open.

Many Bolton town centre shops and stores choose to open for late night shopping on Thursdays on the run-up to Christmas and many small independent shops are also opening on Sundays.