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PROTEST IN VAIN: John Organ and Gill Clark campaigned to keep the Prospect post office in Corsham open without success

NEXT week sees the end of an era as rural post offices across Wiltshire hang up their closed signs for good.

After months of protests post offices at Prospect in Corsham, Kington St Michael and Erlestoke, near Devizes, will be stamped out for good next Wednesday.

In Marlborough, the London Road counter will shut next Friday, as will the newsagents shop it stands within.

Malcolm and Sally Graham, who have run the business for the last three years, have sold the premises. They understand the buyer is intending to reopen the shop, although they are unsure what it will sell.

The decision by Post Office Ltd to shut Prospect Post Office in Lypiatt Road, Corsham, was announced on February 22 to the dismay of postmistress Olive Tovell.

She said: "We all still feel incredibly upset by the decision. We have so many elderly people who will not be able to manage without us.

"We bought into this post office to secure our retirement, which has now been taken away from us."

Mrs Tovell said she had no choice but to look at renting a Pay Point cash machine from the Post Office to keep her business afloat.

ANGRY: The office at Lacock, run by Emma Hands above, will close despite protest

When the decision to shut the post office branch in Kington St Michael was announced, villagers were devastated. But they have bounced back and plan to pay for a postal point in the community shop.

Vice chair of Kington St Michael Parish Council Maureen Hall said: "We are all still embittered by the decision to shut our post office. But we are a very positive community and decided to have a postal point in our shop. The postal point can price envelopes, deal with registered post and sell stamps.

"The only things we won't be able to provide are the collection of pensions or any other services that require a computer."

The parish council is looking to secure funding from the district council.

Last week Post Office Ltd announced that Lacock Post Office would close, despite months of protests, including a letter from actress Dame Judi Dench.

Sub post mistress Emma Hands said she still had no idea when her branch would finally close.

The Post Office has yet to announce if branches in Yatton Keynell and Avebury will face the chop after regulatory body Postwatch called for an urgent review four weeks ago.

11:38am Thursday 27th March 2008

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