CUSTOMERS at a Bolton Post Office can now surf the Internet when they call in to buy stamps or pay a bill.

Subpostmaster Bill Hudson has opened an Internet cafe at Winter Hey Post Office, in Horwich, the first in Greater Manchester to provide such a facility. Mr Hudson, who has managed the former Crown Post Office for the past 12 years, said: "I've been interested in computers for many years, and have felt for some time that providing Internet access and associated services would be useful for the local community. A wide range of local people using the facility.

"Some just want to find information from the web, while others want to download images, send e-mail or just photocopy something."