PO closure a 'disaster' for charity

Staff at a Telford-based charity for panic attack sufferers has hit out at the decision to close one of the town's post offices.

And Colin Hammond, chief executive officer of No Panic, an international charity based in Randlay, claims they were not given a chance to voice their concerns because a request for an appointment with Post Office bosses was ignored.

He says the charity may now have to take out a contract with a private postal firm.

Mr Hammond, who is partially agoraphobic, said the closure of Randlay post office in Telford would be "disastrous" for No Panic, as it relies upon the branch to send out thousands of newsletters.

Mr Hammond, who is partially agoraphobic, said the closure of Randlay post office in Telford would be "disastrous" for No Panic, as it relies upon the branch to send out thousands of newsletters.

Post Office announced on Tuesday that the Randlay branch would be shut as part of a national programme of post office closures.

Mr Hammond, of Randlay, said: "I had asked one of our patrons, Lord Carlile of Berriew QC, to represent us during the consultation.

"He asked Post Office for a meeting as part of the consultation. They said they would contact him but he never got an appointment."

Mr Hammond said he felt it invalidated the decision.

"How they can call it a consultation I don't know," he said.

"The impact of this closure on us will be disastrous.

"We will have to find somewhere else. It means probably getting a private contract. It will be more expensive for us, probably."

Mr Hammond said the charity uses the Randlay branch daily.

He said: "All our post goes through there. At times we send out 2,000 newsletters, which I can't take into town, because I'm partially agoraphobic. We've got 2,500 members and we send out 200 information packs a week."

Richard Hall, for Royal Mail Group, blames a "breakdown in communications" for the meeting with Lord Carlile not going ahead.

He added: "We would like to apologise for this oversight, but reassure customers all of the submissions made to the consultation team with regard to Randlay post office were considered fully before we reached our final decision."

"We appreciate changes will have a greater impact on more vulnerable sectors of communities and we are implementing the programme as sensitively as possible."

By Lizzie Yates