PUPILS from a Southtown middle school have put pen to paper in a bid to save their local post office from closure. More than 50 letters written by children and staff from Edward Worlledge Middle School, on Suffolk Road, have been sent to the post office consultation team demanding a rethink over proposals to close Lichfield Road post office.

PUPILS from a Southtown middle school have put pen to paper in a bid to save their local post office from closure.

More than 50 letters written by children and staff from Edward Worlledge Middle School, on Suffolk Road, have been sent to the post office consultation team demanding a rethink over proposals to close Lichfield Road post office.

A selection of letters has also been sent to local MP Tony Wright and ministers.

In the letters children say that closing the post office will have a “huge affect on elderly and disabled” and will impact on the environment because more people will use transport such as cars and buses to get into town.

One year six pupil wrote that “lots of petrol fumes will go into the atmosphere,” adding “children buy sweets and drinks there”.

Another letter reads: “Why close it down when there are families out there with children? Please try your best to save the post office.”

School secretary Linda Dickeson relies on the post office to do banking for the school as well as sending off items which often need to be weighed or recorded.

Speaking to the Mercury this week she said: “We bank the dinner money and cheques into the post office.

“I don't often leave work before 5.30pm so I couldn't go to a bank and the post office in town would be closed by then.”

Norfolk County Council dictates where schools bank their money and the designated place for Edward Worlledge is Lichfield Road post office.

Mrs Dickeson said: “If our designated bank changes to the main post office in Yarmouth it will be a nightmare, particularly in the summer. I do not have two hours spare in the day to travel to the centre of Yarmouth, park up, and queue for ages to do banking. I think this is all very frustrating.

“Many of the staff use the post office for their own personal use after work. We are very disappointed that we are losing our community post office which is always so busy.

“This is a community which is constantly having additional housing developments and has a very elderly population.”

Mrs Dickeson added that several staff members were allocated time off school to join in a protest march held by residents of Southtown and Cobholm last week.