THE Post Office will move to close four Wyre Forest branches at the end of this month, it has been reported.

An announcement will be made on September 30 about which "urban" post offices will be put forward for closure. The public will then be given six weeks to make their views heard.

Members of a council watchdog were told the number last Wednesday and vowed to probe the proposed closures as soon as they were announced.

The environment and economic regeneration policy and scrutiny panel at Wyre Forest District Council will be asking for evidence from the Post Office, watchdogs, pensioners' groups and residents on how a closure would affect the community.

Chairman, Fran Oborski, told the Shuttle/Times and News: "It can't be Bewdley because they are down to one so it will be four in Kidderminster and Stourport.

"I will be contacting all the residents as soon as we know and I would imagine there are likely to be campaigns against proposed closures."

A campaign to retain post office services in Foley Park, Kidderminster ended in victory in July when the counter at the One Stop Shop was removed but taken on by another newsagent across the road.

About 1,500 signatures were collected for a petition opposing the closure bid and the Post Office said the show of public feeling played a major part in saving the service.

The latest round of proposed closures was part of an ongoing programme throughout the UK, said Post Office spokesman, Richard Hall: "The simple reason is there are too many branches competing for little business.

"In reducing the numbers and customers and migrating customers to branches that remain it will give those a better chance of a viable future."

Mr Hall added that changing the way benefits were paid was making post offices difficult to run at a profit.

The Post Office is encouraging customers to have cash paid directly into their bank accounts instead of picking up their money at their nearest branch.

Hurcott Road, Kidderminster sub-postmaster, Narinder Singh, however, said many customers were unhappy with the new method of payment.

She said: "We have a lot of elderly customers who have never had a bank account or even cheque books. Now they have to put in a PIN code."