Hundreds join post office protest (From Wiltshire Times)

Hundreds join post office protest

11:01am Monday 10th December 2007 in Corsham By Katie Adams

HUNDREDS of campaigners in Lacock were joined by MP James Gray over the weekend to protest about the impending closure of rural post offices.

In October hundreds of post office staff were asked to sign documents forbidding them from telling customers their branches were under threat but news of the gagging orders emerged as Royal Mail prepared to announce which services would face the axe.

On Saturday around 300 people gathered at the village stores in Lacock to protest the cuts and tomorrow Royal Mail will instigate a six week consultation period on the closures which will effect post offices in large parts of the West with as many as one in five in the region facing closure.

Lacock sub-postmistress Emma Hands defied the confidentiality agreement to speak out.

She said: "I was told earlier this year that I would know in October. A man from the post office came round but before he told me anything he made me sign this confidentiality agreement.

"They told me I would get financial penalties for breaking it, but I don't care. It's about free speech and they put me in a very awkward position."