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Residents of Kington St Michael campaigned to keep their post office open

Residents from Kington St Michael have spoken of their devastation at learning their post office will close.

Maureen Hall, vice chair of the Parish Council, has criticised the Royal Mail's decision as a big mistake.

She said: "We are very disappointed.

"We thought we were in with a good chance of staying open.

"We've got 60 plus small businesses in and around the village which use the Post Office, and would use it more if it had been opened during the afternoons. People from Cepen Park and Langley Burrell also use the Kington St Michael Post Office, it's a hinterland for people really.

"It's two and a half miles to the nearest Post Office in New Road in Chippenham and it can take up to three hours as a round trip on the bus. There's often people queueing out onto the street as it is and with the extra demand now it is a real concern. You don't want to be queuing outside in all kind of weather.

"We've got a disabled and old people's care home in the village and we were the only Post Office with disabled access in the area other than the one in Chippenham Town Centre."

Mrs Hall, who lives in the village, said they discussed running the Post Office as a community run-operation, as they had done so with the village stores - which will remain open. But she said Post Office bosses did not fully explore this suggestion as an alternative to closure.

She added:"We find the closure of this type of Post Office quite wrong.

"The community shop will do it's best to provide stamps and undertake postage and we are looking into seeing if there are any other services we can initially provide, but the village will feel the effect of this closure and we are all very disappointed."

11:47am Friday 22nd February 2008

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