COMPENSATION will not paid to Sandleheath Post Office owner Debbie Pople following gas works which put the brakes on business for more than four weeks.

As reported in the September 3 edition of the Journal, Southern Gas Networks carried out work outside the post office throughout August – causing disruption to the rural business.

Ms Pople said that the works, which meant that cars and delivery vans could not park outside the store, caused a direct loss of £400 each day.

She said: “To be honest we would have been better off not opening. Normally during August visitors and campers increase our turnover dramatically but most campers in the surrounding countryside just simply shopped in Fordingbridge.

“There was chaos outside the shop and potential customers were put off. Even our local customers told me they did not have the time to park and stop in the mornings while the road works were taking place.”

Ms Pople added “We were told we could have compensation and so we sent off all the forms and now we have been told me don’t qualify because our business is too small.”

“We would have received compensation if we were a large supermarket chain. We really feel the loss because of our size.”

In a letter to Ms Pople, Southern Gas Networks management accountant Ronald Hunter said that the loss calculated by Sandleheath Post Office was lower than the minimum threshold profit.

An SGN spokesman added: “Our compensation policy is in line with Ofgem Policy. We would not comment on individual claims.”