Post offices shut despite protest

A decline in customers has been blamed on the closures

The first of six post offices in York to be shut because of a fall in customers have closed.

Gale Lane and Holgate branches were shut on Thursday after it was announced the sites were competing for too little business in the city.

Those on Albermarle Road, Clarence Street and Boroughbridge Road will close in the next five days, Post Office bosses have said.

A date is yet to be set for the closure of a branch on Fishergate.

The future of the Bishopthorpe Road branch is still unclear.

The closures, which were announced last month, come despite protests from residents who claim the branches are a "lifeline" to services.

More than 1,700 people signed a petition to save the Gale Lane site. MPs and members of the public also fought to save the other branches.

The Post Office says a decline in the number of customers and increased running costs is to blame for the move.