David Ruffley's constituency wide 'Save our Post Offices' petition has now exceeded 5,000 signatures. And with more local petitions still to be collected the final total is expected to rise much higher.

On Friday, 29 February at 4.15 pm David will visit Woolpit Post Office where he will meet Jim Peek, the sub-postmaster, and be presented with the petition signatures collected at Woolpit Post Office.

Press and photographers welcome.

Sub-post offices throughout David's constituency are threatened with closure as part of Post Office Limited's Network Change Programme. Announcements of proposed closures will be made prior to the public consultation which commences on 26 March.

Last October David wrote to all the sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses in his Bury St Edmunds constituency, enclosing a copy of his petition and pledging his support for maintaining full sub-post office services in the areas they serve.

The text of the petition is: To Post Office Ltd. We the undersigned residents of Suffolk support David Ruffley MP's campaign for the retention of existing sub-post offices in the Bury St Edmunds Parliamentary Constituency.

Many sub-post offices have now returned their petitions to David at Westminster and his constituents have also been adding their names to the petition on David's website: www.tellDavidRuffley.com.

Field Change Advisors from Post Office Limited are currently visiting local post offices and reviewing each area before drawing up a list of proposed post office closures.

David said: '5000 signatures- and still more to come- is by far the largest petition I have ever run. It is quite clear from the huge support for my campaign that my constituents do not want to lose their local post office. In rural areas the post office is a vital community resource which we cannot afford to lose.

Prior to the public consultation which commences on 26 March and once the Field Change Advisors have completed their work in my constituency, I will be seeking a meeting with Post Office Limited to raise my concerns about the proposed closures. I am determined to do all I can to keep closures in our part of Suffolk to an absolute minimum.'