HAMPSHIRE MPS SAY 'STOP POST OFFICE CLOSURES'

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 16th Oct 2007

A fifth of all the post offices in the county due to close under this programme, so that thousands of users are going to be deprived of a friendly face and a local service

Hampshire MPs Sandra Gidley and Chris Huhne joined forces today to launch a campaign to stop the wave of post office closures across the county.

Pictured here outside the Chandler's Ford post office in Bournemouth Road threatened with closure under Tuesday's plans, the MPs were joined by Winchester campaigner Martin Tod and local councillors Alan and Haulwen Broadhurst and Grahame Smith.

"We need to campaign vigorously if we are to avoid the loss of many local post offices, which are such a key part of the community in many villages. A fifth of all the post offices in the county due to close under this programme, so that thousands of users are going to be deprived of a friendly face and a local service" said Mr Huhne.

"By taking away the post office card account and chopping back on other services, the Government has been steadily eroding the business on which local post offices rely. In many cases, the departure of the post office will make the rest of the business uneconomical so local residents will lose their local shop too.

"The alternative is to hand back services that the Post Offices can deliver - such as vehicle excise duty, card accounts and so on - and come up with new services that can be offered through the network."

Sandra Gidley said: "There is a very short consultation period running just until 26th November, so we have no time to lose to make our voices heard. Once the post offices have closed, it will be far more difficult to bring them back".

Ms Gidley said that she was asking local residents either to fill in the petition form at their local post office - if it is one of the post offices threatened with closure - or to let her and Mr Huhne know of their concerns.

Mr Huhne said four post offices are due to close in the Eastleigh constituency - Bournemouth Road in Chandler's Ford, Longmead Avenue in Bishopstoke, High Street in Hamble and Woolston Road in Butlock's Heath.