MP MEETS POST OFFICE FOR URGENT TALKS ON CLOSURE

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 29th Jul 2004

Following her meeting with Senior Management at Royal Mail she said:

"The Post Office need to think again about what they are doing. Older people and disabled people will have real problems if they lose their local Post Offices. Decisions are being made on the basis of wrong information and false assumptions.

She added "I have had many letters from constituents explaining their problems, and I am deeply worried about how some of them will manage."

Sue has urged any residents associations who are running petitions to contact her with details so that she can assess the total numbers which the Post Office will be receiving.

"It is vital that residents associations let me have copies of any petitions which they have ahead of submitting them to the Post Office by the closing date of August 5. I need to know how many names we have to include in my report which will carry weight in the final decision. We must share this information if we are going to use it effectively." she said.

On Monday Sue meets the Chair of Postwatch South East to brief him on the impact of the potential closures.