RESIDENTS have been having their say about the proposed post office closures in the county.

Logging on to your Worcester News website, worcesternews. co.uk, our readers have been commenting and debating the announcement.

As previously reported, 11 post offices across south Worcestershire look set to be axed following a six-week public consultation.

Helen Donovan, from Evesham, commented about the five post offices being closed in the Evesham area.

“Why is it that the rural areas always come off worse than their urban neighbours?” she wrote.

“Elderly people don’t have the internet, credit cards and sometimes even a bank account or access to a car. How are they supposed to live?”

The closures are part of a national programme to reduce the number of post offices.

Decisions have been made according to access criteria, which says 99 per cent of the population should be within three miles and 90 per cent within one mile of their nearest post office.

Harry Wilson, from Worcestershire, commented about the logic behind keeping failing businesses open.

“I worked in private industry and if we made a loss we close,” he wrote.

“Who pays to keep post offices open when people are no longer using them as they once did, and I include myself in this category too.”

And Common Sense from Pershore said: “I fail to see why those who wish to keep the post office side open, and run a mixed business alongside, can’t operate them on a franchise basis of some sort.”

In Worcester, the post office in Bilford Road, Astwood, is earmarked for closure.

David Barritt wrote to your Worcester News about it and raised the issue of the Foregate Street branch closure in May.

In this instance the post office downsized and moved to WH Smith in the city centre.

“Not only does it take much longer to complete our business it is much more difficult for physically disabled people to access post office services.”

He said: “The Bilford Road post office serves a wide community on the north and west side of Worcester and is situated on one of the main exit roads to the city.

“It is very convenient and useful to us and the personnel are very helpful.”

Robin Walker, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Worcester, said: “While some might see it as a relief that only one of Worcester’s local post offices is closing, I am disappointed to see any closures at all.”