A FAILED delivery of cash meant that Darwen's main post office on The Circus kept its doors closed yesterday morning -- and some pensioners had to go without.

A spokesman for Consignia apologised to customers for the cash shortage but admitted it had happened before.

The spokesman added: "Only one office had a real problem and that was Darwen's main post office on the Circus who were awaiting a delivery of cash. A couple of others managed to struggle on.

"We have a vast network and the due delivery did not happen, we expect it to be open later today and wish to apologise to our customers. This is unusual but I wouldn't pretend it's never happened before, we do have a huge network and a due delivery did not arrive -- I don't know why it didn't get there."

Cash was delivered in time for the afternoon.

Pensioner Mrs Edith Harwood, 73, from Darwen said it was her pension day on Tuesday and she normally went to the post office on Tuesday morning to cash her pension.

She said: "I would have found it very inconvenient if I had come here this morning. I always come every Tuesday morning but with the weather being so bad I decided I wouldn't come out until the afternoon -- it's a good job as it would have meant me hanging all round all morning if I had as I wouldn't have bothered going back home again."

The town's two other post offices, Hollins Grove and Bolton Road managed to stay open. A spokeswoman from the Hollins Grove office said on Tuesday morning they had been short of money but did not have to shut. Bolton Road Post Office also remained open.