Following press reports this week in The Times (page 3 November 1, 2004) regarding likely closures of town centre Post Offices across the country David Ruffley has written to the Chairman of Royal Mail to demand an explanation.

David Ruffley said:

'Post offices are at the very heart of the local community and need to be easily accessible to everyone. It would be crazy for the main post office to close in a town the size of Bury St Edmunds. Yet the press report this week said closures of central post offices in places like Bradford and Manchester were on the cards. MP's of all parties can hardly believe it.

'We have already seen far too many Post Offices close in our local community. It would be a disaster if we were then to face the closure of the Post Office in the very town centre of Bury. I have written to the Chairman of Royal Mail to ask for an urgent assurance that he will rule out the closure of Bury's main Post Office.'

Notes to editors:

The full text of the letter to Royal Mail is attached below

2nd November 2004

Mr Allan Leighton

Chairman of Royal Mail Group Plc

148 Old Street

London

EC1V 9HQ

I am writing to you in response to reports in The Times newspaper, of the 1st November.

I am extremely concerned at the content of the report that claims Royal Mail is preparing to close or sell up to half its high street post offices as part of a sweeping restructuring of postal services in this country.

I am particularly fearful that the main Post Office situated in Bury St Edmunds town centre will be facing the axe.

It is no secret that your business needs to raise cash and that selling off prime sites would help your balance sheet. But I am concerned at the huge social cost. The elderly and other vulnerable people in my town would face intolerable hardship, given that Post Office closures in Bury St Edmunds have already been excessive.

You will certainly not need reminding of the recent Post Office closures in my constituency, with Horringer Road, Southgate Street, Fornham Road, Risbygate Street, and Eastgate Street Post Offices all having been closed down.

On behalf of my constituents I require your urgent assurance that the Bury St Edmunds town centre Post Office is not under threat.

Kind regards,