Probe urged into axed post office

Residents reacted with fury at the recent announcement by Post Office Ltd that the branch would be shut on July 5, along with others at Gerard Avenue in Burnholme and Doncaster Road, Selby

But Mr Greenway has labelled the consultation process a "sham" and has now written to Trade and Industry Minister Stephen Timms to protest at the closure.

His letter says: "In my view, I have to say the public consultation was a sham."

"I have also constantly pointed out that as the Osbaldwick Post Office serves a substantial rural community beyond Osbaldwick, the Post Office was wrong to class the office as urban and therefore available for inclusion in its Network Reinvention Programme."

Mr Greenway also complained that he had not received a direct reply from the Post Office's chief executive, David Mills, after writing to him over the issue.

"It's just not good enough," Mr Greenway told the Evening Press.

"The Post Office has chosen the wrong branch to close.

"Hundreds of people will be inconvenienced. The branch serves a large rural area."

Osbaldwick resident Liz Wilson, who has campaigned to keep the branch open, said: "The decision has been taken too rashly. Our newsagent offered to take on the services on a part-time basis, but this was turned down."

A spokesman for Post Office Ltd said: "We followed the correct consultation process concerning this proposed closure, which is agreed nationally with the consumer watchdog Postwatch. It was concluded that the correct course of action was to close the branch on July 5.

"Mr Greenway raised the question of whether Osbaldwick was a rural branch back in January.

"We wrote back to him at the time and informed him that our definition of rural and urban post offices had been agreed with the Government."

The spokesman said Osbaldwick was classed as an urban area because it was in an area with a population of more than 10,000 people.

Updated: 08:44 Wednesday, June 04, 2003