Miles Jermy Bags of support are piling up backing the campaign to save a closure threatened Great Yarmouth post office.Customers have been taking pen to paper writing to Post Office bosses to demand that the branch in Northgate Street stays open.

Miles Jermy

Bags of support are piling up backing the campaign to save a closure threatened Great Yarmouth post office.

Customers have been taking pen to paper writing to Post Office bosses to demand that the branch in Northgate Street stays open.

Sub postmaster Jayne Nicholson has been supplying stationery so people can express their views before the end of the consultation period on June 2.

Jayne is hoping to keep the postman busy delivering sackfuls of letters backing the case for keeping the post office, one of the town's oldest.

She said: “We are handing out hundreds of envelopes, labels and sheaves of paper to customers and local businesses so they can write in on our behalf. Whatever happens we have given it our best shot and if I have to close then hopefully there is something better round the corner - but should we stay open all the hard work will have paid off.

“More than 1,000 customers signed our petition protesting against the closure plan, but I have found out that the Post Office treats each correspondence as a single objection so now we are asking them to write as individuals. Perhaps I will have to cut the petition up and send it in pieces.”

Many neighbouring shops and businesses are giving their support to the branch fearing its closure will draw custom away from the area. Wheatley Jewellers owner Rodney Wheatley said: “This is breaking up a small little community there is every shop you could ever need along here without going into the town centre.

“If the post office closes it will definitely make a difference to our passing trade even if only one in a thousand people come in."

The two nearest post offices are in Salisbury Road and WH Smith in the town centre, but concern has been expressed that the surviving branches could struggle to cope with the extra customers if the closures are approved.

Northgate Street was one of eight branches in and beyond the borough recommended for closure. The others are Lichfield Road in Yarmouth, Springfield Road, Gorleston, Stokesby, Utpon and West Somerton.

Write to Laura Tarling, Network Development Manager c/o National Consultation Team, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM, email consultation@postoffice.co.uk or call 08457 223344.