Elderly and vulnerable residents in Teddington are the latest to be hit by Post Office closures after it was announced a proposal to close the Stanley Road branch in April.

Two Post Offices in Kew, at Popham Gardens and Kew Green, are already facing the axe as part of the Post Office's plan to close 3,000 branches to stem £163million in losses.

Twickenham MP Vincent Cable said he expected around another 14 post offices to close in Twickenham and Richmond in the next three years.

Post Office boss Drew McBride said: "Even after any changes are made, well over 95 per cent of customers will still live within a mile of a Post Office branch.

"We have made sure Hampton Road Post Office, Strawberry Hill Post Office in Tower Road, and Teddington Post Office would be fully geared up to cope with extra customers should the closure go ahead."

Richmond Park MP Jenny Tonge, who is campaigning to keep open the two post offices proposed for closure in Kew, is furious after the Post Office refused to reveal customer numbers despite citing falling amounts of customers as a reason to close the branches.

A Post Office spokesman said the sites were chosen after a detailed scrutiny of all issues, not just customer numbers, which are confidential.

To object to the closures, write to Drew McBride, PO Box 641, St Albans, AL1 5XN by February 24.

January 31, 2003 10:30