The fire-gutted post boxes at the post office in Keighley bus station will not be replaced for several months.

The Post Office will not repair the boxes - destroyed in an arson attack before Christmas - because they fear a second fire could spread to the whole building.

Temporary first and second-class post boxes have been installed inside the post office, which is on Towngate.

The organisation's long-term aim is to provide a stand-alone box in the bus station, near the post office.

Post Office bosses - aware of the fire risk - applied to Bradford council 13 months ago for permission to build a separate box.

The council postponed a decision because the bus station area was due to be redeveloped and plans were not finalised.

The news was revealed this week after concern was expressed by town centre businesses about the difficulty of posting letters in the evening and weekends.

David Petyt, of Exclusive Menswear on nearby Hanover Street, says posting letters before 9am and after 5.30pm is "impossible".

"I have to drive round to the sorting office. It is very inconvenient. Lots of shops and offices don't finish until 5.30pm," he says..

"It wasn't the post office's fault the boxes caught fire but they have now been out of action for about three months.

"Three months is too long to be waiting for this to be sorted out and they could at least have put a temporary box outside."

A spokesman for the Post Office yesterday apologised for the loss of the boxes and insisted everything possible was being done to resolve the situation.

The spokesman adds: "The post box has been the target of vandals and we have had concerns about the implications for the entire building by fires started in the box.

"With this in mind we applied to the local council in February 2000 to erect a free-standing box outside the office.

"The entire shopping complex which the post office is in was under development review, so the application was postponed."

The spokesman says negotiations with the council are continuing. Until then, there is a post box in nearby North Street available 24 hours a day.