MP BURSTOW BLASTS POST OFFICE FOR LONG WAITS AS SUB POST OFFICES CLOSE

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 28th Mar 2005

Sutton and Cheam MP, Paul Burstow, has asked Post Office watchdog Postwatch to investigate growing complaints about long waits at local post offices.

Following the Post Office decision to proceed with the closure of all six sub-post offices in Sutton and Cheam Mr Burstow wrote to Patricia Hewitt, the Secretary of State responsible for the Post Office, urging her to review the closure decisions.

The plea fell on deaf ears. The Secretary of State washed her hands of the matter and refused to intervene. Indeed Paul Burstow has learned that across the country just a handful of branches have been reprieved.

With most of the local branches now closed many of the difficulties that Mr Burstow warned of are being realised. The length of queues at the main Sutton Post Office and the St Nicholas Centre branch has increased. Waits of 15 to 20 plus minutes are not uncommon. Mr Burstow has already referred the Sutton and St Nicholas Centre cases to the Chairman of Postwatch London, requesting a full investigation.

Commenting Paul Burstow MP said:

"It was a disgrace the way the Post Office ran roughshod over local people with its closures. But they are not even keeping their promises to improve the remaining services. Waits of 20 minutes at a post office are unacceptable.

"Postwatch have agreed to investigate my complaint and I am pulling together a file of evidence to present. Any resident who has experienced problems since the closures should let me know so I can take it up with Postwatch."