Emma KnightsPosters demanding the reopening of a Norfolk shop and post office have been plastered all over a village.Lyng Stores and Post Office closed in March last year for repair work after the store was damaged in a ram raid in January followed by an attempted break-in in February 2009.Emma Knights

Posters demanding the reopening of a Norfolk shop and post office have been plastered all over a village.

Lyng Stores and Post Office closed in March last year for repair work after the store was damaged in a ram raid in January followed by an attempted break-in in February 2009.

Stuart Butcher, 35, who ran the store with his partner Helen Tuttle, 26, said ever since they have been battling to reopen but problems with building work have caused numerous delays.

Mr Butcher, who took over the shop in April 2006, went to Lyng Stores on Tuesday to find it covered in posters that said things such as 'Let us in - we want to spend money' and 'One year give us back our shop'.

Posters were also attached to the post box, the village sign and other places throughout Lyng. It remains a mystery who put them up.

Mr Butcher, who lives in The Street, Lyng, said: 'I went to the shop and found about 80 signs all over the shop. It was very upsetting. My other half was in tears.'

He said when the shop closed in March last year they thought the repair work - which included work to the structure of the building as well as plastering, decorating, rewiring and refitting - would be finished within four months and the shop would be open by August 2009. But he said problems with the building work has led to repairs needing to be redone a number of times, with some of the work still not finished.

'When you have had the year of upset we have had in trying to sort things out, it is not very nice for someone to do this. I could not believe it when I saw the posters,' he said.

'We are approachable people. Whenever I have seen people, I have told them what is going on. We have put notices on the shop and in the local magazine to tell people what is going on. We could not have done anything more.

'Putting these posters up is not constructive in getting the shop reopened.'

He added: 'I would like to find out who put the posters up. If they talked to me I could explain the situation.

'We are equally frustrated that we have not been able to open the shop because it is our livelihood.'

Mr Butcher hopes the shop will reopen by the beginning of June.

'Most people we have spoken to seem to understand what is happening and we hope people will support us when we reopen,' he said.

Camilla Davis, chairman of Lyng Parish Council, said: 'I think it is a shame that the shop has been shut for so long as a lot of people rely on it, particularly the elderly and people who do not have a car.

'People value the shop very much and obviously a few people are feeling that it should be open by now.

'I have no idea who is behind putting the posters up. I know that the people who run the shop have been trying for a long time to reopen it and that they are committed to reopening it.'

A post office near Dereham is to temporarily close next month.

Elsing Post Office, in Peasland Green, Elsing, will temporarily shut on April 8 due to the resignation of the subpostmaster and because the premises will no longer be available for Post Office use.

A Post Office spokesman said: 'We understand that the people of Elsing will be concerned about the future of Post Office services in their area. Customers can be assured that we will continue to work hard to find a solution that will provide a Post Office presence in Elsing. Post Office Ltd apologises for the inconvenience this temporary closure may cause to customers.'

The closest Post Office branches to Elsing are Swanton Morley, Hockering and Mattishall.