POST office staff in the county are living with the constant fear of raids and attack, a postmistress has said today.Sally Reeves, who is the national executive officer for the national federation of post offices was speaking out following the violent attempted robbery at an Ipswich post office yesterday.

POST office staff in the county are living with the constant fear of raids and attack, a postmistress has said today.

Sally Reeves, who is the national executive officer for the national federation of post offices was speaking out following the violent attempted robbery at an Ipswich post office yesterday.

She said: "It is something that post masters, whether they be rural or urban are living with all the while.

"You never know what is going to come towards you."

The postmaster from Hawthorn Drive is recovering from his attack today after being taken to hospital with facial and head injuries.

He was attacked after would-be robbers forced their way into the premises at around 7am yesterday.

They were then believed to have made their escape in a dark coloured Audi.

Mrs Reeves said: "This one has been particularly shocking because he has been injured.

"It does not matter whether you know them personally or not, they are still colleagues and it is very shocking.

"These people are getting more and more vicious."

The injured post master was on the local committee of the National Federation of Sub post offices.

Part of the agenda for the federation is to look at the safety and security of post offices.

Mrs Reeves said: "We make sure that security at post offices is as high as it can possibly get.

"But these people are very, very determined and they will have a go no matter how good the security is.

"The Post Office are investing considerable sums in security and it is something that is constantly under the spotlight."

Mrs Reeves said it was difficult to say whether some staff at post offices would become too scared to carry on working there.

She said: "Every single person reacts to an incident in a different way.

"I have known people give up in the past but it is down to the individual and how they cope with it."

N. An Audi car was stolen from outside a house in Alpe Street, Ipswich between Sunday night and Monday morning, but police do not know if it was the one used in the Chantry raid.

Lee Smith was looking after the car from a friend when it was stolen from outside his house.

He said thieves hooked the keys to the car out through his letter box.

Mr Smith said: "I got up and I was in a bit of a rush to get to work. I couldn't find the car keys anywhere so I looked outside and the car was gone.

"It's the second time in a year we've been burgled. It wouldn't be so bad, but it's not my car.

"It's the first day of my friend's honeymoon. I rang him this morning and he was a bit jarred off at first, but we ended up laughing about it in the end."

Anyone with any information about the attempted robbery should call Suffolk police on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.