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Thousands sign up to save PO

17/ 5/2008

MORE than 2,000 Heaton Moor residents have signed a petition to save their local post office, writes Kirsty Elleray.

Postmistress Nusreen Ahmed and her husband Asif Aslan are fighting to save their business on Heaton Road after being sent a letter by the Post Office telling them they are earmarked for closure.

There will be an official public notice on June 10, with a six-week consultation, but the couple did not want to waste any time in campaigning to save the post office and their jobs.

Nusreen said: "If the post office closes we will be out of a job. We will fight to save it, at the moment the alternative does not bare thinking about, as we have two young children and we are trying to stay optimistic.

"We have elderly customers, disabled customers, young mums and many more. We are a good post office that is well used and we should not close. There is also a convenience store and people come to buy a loaf of bread and get their pensions or stamps. But the convenience store would not survive without the post office.

"I’ve been here about 10 years and we are part of the community, customers know and trust us, we have a personal touch. We devised our own petition and over 2,000 people have signed it.

"It would be a great loss to many residents. There is a lot of talk about shopping local, yet if we close people will have to get in cars and go to a supermarket."

Nusreen, 36, found out in March that the post office would be earmarked for closure and started the campaign straight away. She added: "We have not been given any reasons as to why we could be closed, the letter just said 2,500 post offices are part of the consultation and ours is one."

Nurseen and Asif have put a banner up outside, contacted Stockport MP Ann Coffey to help and once the consultation period starts they plan to hold a demonstration and have t-shirts printed.

A spokesperson for the Post Office said: "The area planned for Greater Manchester and High Peak for consultation will be from June 10 and until that time the branches proposed for closure are confidential and could also change."