AN INQUIRY has been launched into why police officers went to the wrong address after they were warned about a raid on Kirkby Stephen Post Office.

Officers were alerted to the burglary at the post office in Market Street when alarms sounded but instead went to the former post office premises in Victoria Square that have not been in use since 2001.

The intruders cut open the post office safe and escaped with a large quantity of cash in the raid on February 6. They also destroyed files.

Sub-postmistress Jackie Semple said the incident was of great concern to the community. "If the police don't know somewhere as prominent as the only post office in the town, how many other premises don't they know the address of?" she asked.

Eden district councillor Trevor Ladhams said the community was very concerned: "The general public's reaction is shock and disbelief and anger, really.

"It just goes to show that the level of policing for this area is just non-existent."

Mike Head, spokesman for Cumbria police, said officers who were not local might have been on traffic patrol and called out as they were closest to the incident when it happened.

He added an inquiry had begun: "It's something we regret and we are looking into it, so that we can make sure it doesn't happen again and lessons are learned."