THE new threat to Britain's post offices is a recruitment crisis, Alan Johnson warned today. The post offices minister should realise that the Government shares the blame for this problem.

Its ham-fisted attempts to modernise the service plunged the post office network into crisis. Plans to pay pensions direct into bank accounts instead of over the counter would have robbed many branches of vital revenue, forcing hundreds more to close.

That led the Evening Press to launch our Counter Attack campaign with massive support from our readers. The Government got the message. Ministers unveiled a rescue package worth hundreds of millions of pounds to safeguard the network's future.

Struggling rural branches will be offered state subsidies. A Universal Bank is to be established to ensure pensioners and benefit claimants can continue to get payments in cash at post offices.

It was an impressive example of the Government listening to the people.

Unfortunately, by the time ministers relented, confidence in the future of Britain's post offices had been badly shaken.

So it should be no surprise that the numbers of people willing to run post offices has dwindled. Few would be keen to invest their savings in a business with such a shaky future.

Mr Johnson has talked of "opening up the dawn to a new era for the Post Office". But that vision cannot become a reality without the people to run the branches.

The Government must help the Post Office to overcome the recruitment crisis. First, it should bring forward its subsidies from 2003 to try to stem branch closures, still running at 300 a year. That will boost confidence in the network

Second, it should undertake a promotional campaign to reassure potential postmasters and mistresses that these businesses have a viable future.

Running a post office is hard work. Those who do so need to know that their efforts will be rewarded.