The Post Office will allow customers to pay for its broadband service over the counter in the firm's 14,000 stores, it has been announced.

The move is thought to be aimed at attracting the so-called silver surfer market, which the firm has announced it will target as potential customers for its service, and who it is thought can find online forms confusing.

This method of payment is not offered by any other UK broadband provider.

News of the Post Office's service's USP comes as it confirmed that a promotional campaign featuring TV and press adverts will be fronted by Westlife - a canny move given that the boy band's bloodless ballads have already made them a hit with grannies up and down the UK.

The deals are set to go live October 29th and will use BT's network to potentially reach an estimated 99.6 per cent of UK broadband connections.

The Post Office has set a target of one million customers by 2010.