Post Office fight goes on

Friday, 23 May, 2008

The fight to save post offices earmarked for closure around Bury St Edmunds marches on, with protesters making their voices heard.
Campaigners gathered outside Fornham All Saints Post Office on Friday to fight plans to close the branch.

The post office is one of 61 in the region facing the axe, following a swathe of cuts announced by Post Office Ltd in March.

Lisa Whitehouse, 24, daughter of postmaster Trevor, said: "We were totally devastated when we heard the news. We can't understand why they would want to close us down."

The post office, in The Street, serves around 1,000 customers a week, who would have to travel to the Lake Avenue shops, on the Mildenhall Road estate, in Bury, if it closed.

Esme Divall, 70, of Tut Hill, recently moved to the area and said: "This is part of the village for us. I can't believe they would close it down, it's stupid."

David Ruffley, MP for Bury, also attended the protest and urged campaigners to fight on.

Supporters of Horringer Post Office, also earmarked for closure, formed a motorcade to travel to the next nearest post office at Court News, in Glastonbury Road, Bury, on Saturday, to protest at the proposed closure of the Horringer branch.

More than 50 cars and bikes took part in the protest, which was organised by residents Colin and Ruth Knight.

Bryan Stokes, community council chairman, said: "People were astonished to hear about the closure, then angry and bewildered.

"Residents would be depressed if we lost a vital village service."

Laura Tarling, of Post Office Ltd, will attend a public meeting at Fornham All Saints Community Centre at 3.45pm today, ahead of the end of a three-month public consultation on June 2.