WEYMOUTH’S main post office was forced to close its doors after the computer system crashed.

Customers were turned away from the office in St Thomas Street after the technical glitch yesterday.

A sign on the door directed customers to the two other nearest Post Office branches on Dorchester Road and Abbotsbury Road until the re-opened at around 2pm.

According to customers and businesses in the are the area, the post office had been closed since 9am and the proposed opening time kept changing throughout the day.

Big Issue seller Mick Turner, 37, said: “At 9am the sign said it would be opening at 10am.

“Then at 10am it said 12pm, and then at 12pm it read 2pm.

“Imagine all of the people who lost out on the money they put in the pay and display machines if they came to town just to use the post office.

“There was a lot of pensioners down here earlier who were not happy.”

One pensioner, who did not wish to be named, said: “I came here at 11.30am to get my pension money.

“The sign said it would be opening at 12pm but then it changed to 2pm.”

Another pensioner added: “If they can’t open it, they can’t open it.

“These things happen but I am a pensioner and I can’t get to Dorchester Road or Abbotsbury Road – that’s too far.”

She added: “I get my pension money here instead of going to the bank to keep the post office going, then this happens.”

Drew James, 38, who lives in Weymouth town centre said there had been problems at the Post Office branch in St Thomas Street before.

He said: “It is just terrible that in such a big place like Weymouth, there are so few Post Office branches.

“This one is particularly inefficient - there always seems to be a sign saying they are short staffed or closed.”

He added: “What did they do before computers?

“There must be something they can do.”

A Post Office spokesman confirmed that there was a problem with the computer system at the St Thomas Street branch.

The spokesman said: “We would like to apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused.”

She added yesterday “We had engineers on site working on it as quickly as possible.”