A brand new Post Office has opened in West London. The launch event was attended by local MP Dr Rupa Huq, and her sister, TV presenter Konnie Huq.

The Post Office, located inside a new Chatime bubble-tea cafe is located on Acton High Street. Unlike many Post Offices, it is open 7 days a week.

Services are available between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm on Saturday's, and 11am until 5pm on Sunday's. New postmaster Hamid Hamid described his plans after the launch.

The new Post Office is located insite Chatime bubble tea cafe on 96 High Street, Acton (Image: Philip James Lynch).

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service [LDRS] : "I'm feeling many things. First of all, I'd like to get to know more of the people in the local area. They are all very friendly, and I'm looking forward to serving the community, growing this business, and developing a good understanding of what people need."

In June, the Post Office announced plans to close its Chiswick branch, which led to outcry in the local community. At the time, Cllr Peter Thompson decried the closure and the impact it would have on local communities.

For many Chiswick residents, this will now be the closest Post Office. It offers services such as sending and receiving parcels, recorded deliveries, banking, cash deposits, bill paying, top ups, stamps, and other parcel services such as Evri and DPD.

Dr Rupa Huq MP (Image: Philip James Lynch).

Dr Rupa Huq MP was joined by her sister and former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq. Speaking to the LDRS, Dr Huq spoke of the importance of rebuilding trust with local communities following the Post Office scandal.

She said: "The Post Office is now taken as a byword for scandal. We have to rebuild trust. It's a well known British institution, and it's going to take some time, hopefully this will help.

"[Acton has] sadly been lacking [a Post Office] since 2018. I know we're moving over to AI and digital, but for getting holiday money, like many services that the Post Office offers, can only be done in person. We're also facing a loneliness epidemic, so its important people can have that face to face interaction."

Varchas Patel, the son of a wrongfully convicted postmaster, also attended the launch. His father ran a Post Office in Acton during his childhood, before moving to Oxfordshire where he was wrongfully convicted for a £35,000 "phantom shortfall" due to the faulty Horizon systems – however he is yet to be compensated.

Hamid Hamid, Postmaster (Image: Philip James Lynch).

He told the LDRS that the government is not doing enough to compensate postmasters affected by the scandal. He said: "Imagine you lost your house, your business, your income, your mental and physical health, and in some cases were sent to jail.

"When he was maliciously prosecuted by the Post Office, my family were extremely vilified in the village where we lived in Oxford, intimidated, and barraged with threats. I have fond memories of the Acton Crown Post Office, which was closed in 2018, and I'm here because the Post Office still plays an essential role in every community."

In November, the Post Office revealed that 33 London branches face closure, costing hundreds of jobs. At the time, Post Office chairman Nigel Railton said the shake-up would offer a "new deal for postmasters" by increasing their share of revenue and giving them a greater say in the running of the business.