POLITICAL leaders in Ipswich today pledged to try to fight to save post offices in the town that have come under threat.Ipswich MP Chris Mole met officials from the Royal Mail to express his concern about proposals to close three offices in his constituency.

POLITICAL leaders in Ipswich today pledged to try to fight to save post offices in the town that have come under threat.

Ipswich MP Chris Mole met officials from the Royal Mail to express his concern about proposals to close three offices in his constituency.

As revealed in The Evening Star yesterday, the post offices at Christchurch Street, London Road, and Fore Street are all in the Ipswich constituency.

The Norwich Road post office is not in the constituency - but will be at the next election when the boundaries are changed.

Mr Mole said: “I am particularly concerned about the London Road post office because it is used by a large number of people who are not well off and rely on the services it provides.

“Many of them would find it very difficult to get to alternative post offices in the town.”

He was also concerned about the threat to Fore Street post office because it was in the growing Waterfront area and was next to the site of University Campus Suffolk.

“When other post offices were closed in the Vernon Street/Wherstead Road area, Fore Street was given as the closest alternative. Now that is under threat.

“And when you look at the changes that are happening in that part of the town, it makes you wonder if they are taking into account the future growth in the area.”

His Conservative opponent at the next general election, Ben Gummer, was also angered by the proposed closures.

He said: “The government have changed the services offered by post offices and the way they are now organised makes it difficult to turn in a profit.

“I shall be writing to local managers to see what can be done to reverse this decision. Ipswich is a growing community with 15,500 new homes coming in. It cannot afford to lose more services like this.”