A POSTAL box could be back in the centre of Wimborne “within ten days”.

Royal Mail managers had originally said a replacement mail box could not be provided for the High Street because they could not get the relevant permissions.

But a collections manager met with council representatives and campaigners on Wednesday.

Royal Mail said that two potential new sites for a replacement box have now been identified, about 100 yards from the original post box which is currently unusable as it is within a fire cordon.

A spokesman said: “We will be writing to the relevant local authority and utility groups requesting the necessary permissions to use one or the other of these sites.

“Permissions must be granted before any installation can take place because of health and safety issues involved in the continued use and safe installation of any Post Box.

“We would like to apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused whilst we investigate arrangements.

“In the meantime, there are four alternative post boxes in the area, some 300 to 500 yards away from the old site.”

Councillors and staff from the town council, officers from East Dorset District Council, county councillor Robin Cook and campaigner Nick King were at the site meeting.

County councillor Robin Cook said: “Getting everyone together in one place we were able to overcome many obstacles.

“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t have a replacement box in place within ten days.”

The original pavement box was enclosed within a safety cordon after a fire damaged four businesses at the start of July.

Campaigners are still working to get a temporary Post Office counter moved into a car park by the Minster church.

“The paperwork has now been signed.