SUB postmasters have mixed feelings over Government plans for their future.

Some people feel recommendations to ensure sub post offices in rural areas remain in business will not do much to help, while others are more hopeful.

A report has been published following recent Government proposals in the way benefit payments can be claimed at post office counters.

Benefit payments are presently paid in cash at sub post offices, for which postmasters receive at least 11p for each transaction.

But the Government proposed that all benefits be paid directly into bank and building society accounts by 2003.

The new report, called Counter Revolution modernising the Post Office network, gives 24 recommendations for action in a bid to keep rural sub post offices up and running.

The sub post office in Clifton Street, Swindon, is run by Mohibali and Noorjahen Nayani. Mr Nayani said: Our future is very uncertain at the moment.

"If the payment of pensions and other allowances stops here, we will lose between 40 and 60 per cent of our trade and I don't know what will happen to us.

John Kay, honorary secretary of the Swindon branch of the National Federation of Sub Postmasters, added: I think the Government is full of talk of changes which actually have very little substance."

But Rodbourne Road Post Office sub postmaster John Goddard believes the changes might well be for the best.

He said: We all want our rural post offices to keep going and, hopefully, these proposed changes will ensure they do. They might just work but you never can tell until they have been put in place.