VILLAGERS have accused Royal Mail bosses of giving them

“false hope” after they announced plans to close their post

office following a review.

Post Office Ltd confirmed yesterday that Mow Cop Post Office

is to close as part of a cost-cutting strategy.

Bosses announced plans to axe 25 North Staffordshire

branches after a six-week consultation last month.

Mow Cop had been given a stay of execution while its case

was reviewed, as it falls in the Congleton constituency but

survived a similar consultation period in Cheshire. Post Office

bosses have not yet revealed when it will close.

Des Ball, chairman of Mow Cop Residents' Association, said:

“I think it's a bit of a David and Goliath thing for Mow

Cop.

“We try to resist these things because we think, what is it

that is going to go next?

“It looks like we've lost this one and I don't know what we

can do about it. I think the writing was on the wall a long

time ago but the review gave us false hope.

“We're sad that it's going but we will certainly try to hold

on to anything else we've got as we come together as a

community.”

Watchdog Postwatch complained to Post Office Ltd when Mow

Cop's closure was proposed, saying the branch shouldn't have

been included in two consultations.

A spokesman for Postwatch Midlands said: “We raised the

issue as a point of principle. Although Post Office Ltd had

recorded Mow Cop as being in the Staffordshire Moorlands

constituency, it actually falls in Congleton so they had

already been over that ground in Cheshire.

“We have received assurances that the situation won't happen

again.

“It's difficult in Mow Cop because there are other post

offices in the locality, but as with any post office closure

some customers will be affected by it.”

Post Office Ltd announced in July that 25 post offices in

North Staffordshire are to be axed, including seven in

Stoke-on-Trent, four in Newcastle and six in the Staffordshire

Moorlands.

The decision has sparked a storm of protest from residents

and MPs, who had campaigned during the consultation period to

keep the branches open.

They say the closures will affect elderly and disabled

residents who will have to travel further to access

services.

But the company says 98.9 per cent of the population will

either see no change or will remain within one mile of an

alternative branch.

Mark Partington, Post Office Ltd's network development

manager for Shropshire and Staffordshire, said: “We appreciate

that any decision to close a Post Office branch will often be

unpopular. Nevertheless, Post Office Ltd has to make decisions

to close branches in order to put the network on a more stable

footing for the future and achieve this in a way which best

meets the demands and concerns of its customers.”

Staff at Mow Cop Post Office declined to comment.