PEOPLE POWER SAVES STREET'S WEST END POST OFFICE!

11.37.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 21st May 2008

Post Office Campaign success in Street!

A leak from inside government has confirmed increasingly strong rumours that Street's West End post-office will be one of the first in the country to be saved from closure. Although the official announcement is not due till 29th May, local residents are celebrating a victory for what Liberal Democrat county councillor Jim Mochnacz - who spearheaded the campaign - called "People Power - a united front of post-mistress, public and politicians".

All 1,300 residents who signed the initial petition and attended campaign meetings were heroes, he said, but he singled out for special praise District Councillor Peter Andrews and parliamentary candidate Tessa Munt.

"Peter noticed what the Government had overlooked, that 400 new homes were due to be built opposite West End - and where would they all go for a stamp?

"Tessa made the point by devising a timed walk which which was shown on television and demonstrated just how far the new residents would have to travel for post-office services.

"I can't tell you how glad I am for Kath Williams, the post-mistress, who is hugely popular with residents and thoroughly deserves this reprieve. The job she does day in, day out, persuaded all those people to make their voices heard."

Ms Munt praised the hard work of the Liberal Democrat team who had taken the terms of the Government's own consultation and shown it had breached them by ignoring the new development.

"We owe this victory to the Government's oversight," she said, "but other towns and villages in Somerset will not be so lucky.

"We have been making the case since these closures started under Margaret Thatcher that you can't judge a post-office by normal business criteria. In rural areas like Somerset they fulfil an essential social function and provide a lifeline to people in relatively isolated communities."

Ends.