Villagers had been panicked earlier in the week after Angus MP Mike Weir said he understood that the post office would close from 1pm every day with immediate effect, after being contacted by a constituent.

But an employee of the sub-post office told the Review that the shop was only closing after lunch for two weeks while the owner was on holiday.

Mr Weir said: "I was contacted by a constituent who said they had seen a notice in the window of the post office which said 'from now on the post office would be closed from 1pm.'

"This would have had a serious impact on the community. I had emailed the post office and I was waiting for a response.

"This is not nearly as bad as I had thought. It seems to be a misunderstanding, by all concerned.

"If it is only temporary then it is quite understandable. I was concerned as there have already been a couple of incidents where after a consultation has finished, post offices have then been closed.

"If the closure is due to staff holidays then that is no problem and I understand."

Ferryden Post Office said that the afternoon closures were by no means permanent and normal service would resume on the return of the owner.

Mr Weir originally said: "I am deeply concerned that this is yet another change of service after the Post Office's consultation period has passed which is seeking the closure of a number of branches throughout Angus, including the village post office in Inverkeilor.

"This comes on the back of the news that the main post office in Arbroath has to move out of the Abbeygate Shopping Centre early next year and this latest news must now call into question the Post Office's proposals to close the branch at Inverkeilor, as one of the alternative branches for villagers was in Ferryden."

Reacting to Mr Weir's earlier statement, Donald Morrison, the Arbroath Councillor whose ward includes Inverkeilor, said: "The Post Office's proposals for Angus East are in complete disarray and they must now withdraw their closure proposals for the village."

It was announced in May that the post office in Ferryden would not be closing as a result of a national review of the service. This came as good news for local residents who had been concerned the service would be lost.