I feel that it is important to canvas the threatened sub-postmaster before demanding the office remains open.

All the sub offices are agents of Post Office Counters Ltd and receive a monthly payment only for work undertaken.

From this they have to pay staff, all overheads and utilitiy bills, business rates (all increasing annually) together with any improvements to their premises brought about by necessity or legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act.

Quite frankly it is, in most cases, the shop or other business activity that subsidises the post office.

With this fact in mind we are painfully aware that this government has, over the last 10 years, withdrawn the payment of family allowances, then pensions, telephone and TV savings stamps and issue of TV licences.

Bill payment facilities have been taken over by paypoints in convienience stores, the issue of motor vehicle licences on the Internet, oh yes, and the post office card account is under threat in 2010!

All in all some 75 per cent of their core business, resulting in much reduced footfall and consequent catastrophic, and indeed,in many cases, terminal reduction in cash flow.

I am trying to point out there is often a very human side to this situation, in that postmasters, rather than just close their doors through attrition, without compensation, can close with dignity and some financial return for their service, and long standing personal investment.

Although saddened by the inconvienience to their loyal customers, their business will hopefully be transferred to the ones remaining open.

However if the government continues to starve the post office of new sustainable business, further closures will be inevitable.

In this light, please discuss this situation with the sub-postmaster, who I feel is equally traumatised by events beyond their control.

Finally, I, too, cannot believe that the Upperton Road crown office was closed.