GLEBE Street Post Office in Penarth has become the first in Wales to offer the new online passport application service to their customers.

The Post Office was bought out by new owner Sajaad Yasin last September, and he has since sought to modernise the premises and expand the level of services on offer.

As well as the addition of the new digital passport renewal service, first announced by the UK Government in March 2017, the Post Office is also now offering DVLA licence checks and photocopying.

And Mr Yasin says he is proud of the store's remodelling since his arrival, which he says has made the shop more visually pleasing.

"It’s been a gradual process doing it all up," said Mr Yasin, 36.

"We came in at a busy time just before Christmas but everything is now really starting to come together.

"We’ve put new lighting in, had a refit and smartened everything up."

And he points out that by increasing the number of staff from just three prior to his arrival, they have also been able to slash customers waiting times.

"When we came in there were big queues, but it’s running more smoothly now, all the customers are happy," he said.

"We’ve added more staff – we have five now, as well as my wife."

Mr Yasin and his family have a longstanding background in the Post Office trade, and he jumped at the chance to take on the new challenge in what he describes as a "lovely town" in Penarth, after moving to Cardiff around 12 months ago.

"We’ve had a Post Office in Abertillery with my father for 35 years – myself for 15 years. We moved to Cardiff and wanted to open up in Penarth.

"I know in Penarth a lot of Post Offices have closed down, so we know how important this is to the town, and how important it was to improve the services on offer to this community."