Mock funeral held for post office

The protesters are mourning the loss of their post office

People campaigning against the planned closure of their village post office have organised a funeral procession to mourn the end of the service.

Dozens of residents from Castle Bytham, near Stamford, Lincolnshire, dressed in black and carried a coffin through the streets to highlight their protest.

More than 40 post offices in Lincolnshire have been earmarked for closure or will be downgraded.

The closures aim to stem the financial losses of post offices all over the UK.

"We're mourning the proposed closure of our post office," said Castle Blyth campaigner Deirdre Pausey.

"But that's not all. There's more to it. We're asking the Post Office why they are recommending we make the 44-mile round trip on public transport to supposedly reach our nearest post office."

The Post Office has said the national network was losing money and was not sustainable in its current form.

The Post Office has to make sure 95% of the total population in rural areas will be within three miles of their nearest branch.