CAMPAIGNERS today called for an alternative site for a soon-to-be-axed post office to be found as soon as possible to allay residents' worries.Supermarket giant Morrisons has confirmed it will be closing the office when it takes over Felixstowe's Safeway store.

CAMPAIGNERS today called for an alternative site for a soon-to-be-axed post office to be found as soon as possible to allay residents' worries.

Supermarket giant Morrisons has confirmed it will be closing the office when it takes over Felixstowe's Safeway store.

The facility serves a community of 7,500 people as well as being the main postal office for dozens of firms at the port, and the closure has sparked a barrage of protests and the launch of a petition.

Councillors David Cawdron and Harry Dangerfield are seeking urgent meetings with Morrisons' management and the Post Office to discus the situation.

Mr Dangerfield said: "It seems that Morrisons just don't have post offices within their supermarkets.

"Our argument is that this complex is a community or neighbourhood facility, not a big out of town store.

"It features not just the supermarket and post office, but a church, pub, pharmacy, petrol station and doctors' surgery - all the things the local community, whatever their ages, needs.

"To take away the post office will be to remove a vital element and that doesn't make sense at all. We would like Morrisons to make a special case here in Felixstowe and keep the facility."

Mr Dangerfield said if Morrisons refused to budge, then there was a need to identify possible alternative sites for the post office as soon as possible.

"The trouble is that there are just not many other shops in this immediate area and those that exist would be hard pushed to include a post office as well. Sadly, the old post office which was forced to close when Safeway wanted the facility in the supermarket still stands empty and boarded up," he said.

The petition against the closure is gathering strength and can be signed in the Basics charity shop next door to Safeway.

Morrisons said an urgent review of all stores with post offices had taken place and it had been decided not to seek new contracts with the Post Office and the company had given Post Office Ltd notice of its intention to end the franchise.

"We are continuing our discussions with the Post Office in order to agree a sensible way forward and no final closure dates have been agreed at this stage," said a spokesman.

"We understand that the Post office will, in due course, consult with interested local parties over the proposed relocation of the branches in Safeway stores.

"Staff have been advised of the situation in a special briefing which has already taken place."

n What do you think? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk