Post Office announces 40 closures

The first closures are due to take place in January.

The company also wants to shut two further branches - Chaddesden in Derby and Park Road, Ilkeston. A six-week public consultation will start soon.

The firm identified branches which it said were no longer viable, pointing out that most customers would still be within a mile of a post office.

'Difficult decisions'

The branches to close include many where campaigns have been mounted to try to save them.

They include those at Egginton and Church Gresley in South Derbyshire, at Kirk Ireton and at Leabrooks near Alfreton.

A Post Office spokesman our million fewer people were using their local post office each week compared with two years ago and Post Office losses rose from £2m a week in 2005 to £4m a week last year, a spokesman said.

Mark Partington, Post Office Limited's network development manager for the East Midlands, said: "These are difficult decisions which have not been taken lightly.

"We have considered very carefully all the comments made during the public consultation.

"We believe that the amended plan announced today offers our customers across the East Midlands area the best prospect for a sustainable network in the future, bearing in mind the government's minimum access criteria and the other factors the government has asked us to consider."

The full list of closures: