Plans for post offices to close

The post offices closing

More than 50 post office branches have been earmarked to close across Shropshire and Staffordshire.

The Post Office said 53 branches would shut and 12 would operate through "a form of outreach service".

This would involve a mobile post office visiting at set times, a service within community centres, local shops or a home service using a phone.

A spokesman for the Post Office said closing any branch was a "very difficult" decision.

People will have six weeks to comment on the plans before a final decision is made.

'Serves community'

The Post Office said that about 98% of people living in the two counties would see no change to their nearest branch or would be within a mile of an alternative branch.

All 12 of the post offices planned to be converted into "outreach services" are in Shropshire.

But crowds gathered outside a branch in Hadnall, near Shrewsbury in Shropshire, to protest at the plans.

The postmaster's wife told BBC News that she was against the proposals as the store served the community.

"We are on a main road and we need to keep it open because it is being used and it's there for the community and that is what it's all about," she said.

Resident in Hadnall gathered to protest at the plans

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne said many of the closures would affect rural areas in south Shropshire as branches are vital to enable people to access money and benefits.

Shropshire County Council leader Malcolm Pate said the authority would be protesting against the proposed closures.

The Post Office said there would still be 315 branches left across the two counties, excluding the new "outreach services".

Mark Partington, the Post Office's network development manager for Shropshire and Staffordshire, urged people to contact the firm about the plans.

He said: "Taking the decision to close any post office branch is always very difficult and we know will cause concern to many of our customers.

"We want to ensure that everyone who uses, relies on or has any concern with post office services is both fully aware of the proposed changes and able to give views on them."