We'll boycott our post office over big queues

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FED-up residents are threat- ening to boycott Portishead's only post office because of the mammoth queues which build up at the town centre branch.

People have been forced to wait up to 45 minutes to be served at the post office, which is based at McColls, with large queues often tailing back out of the shop, which has angered people in sub zero temperatures.

Resident Mike Baker, 49, was so incensed at the large queues on Monday this week that he took video and pictures which he now plans to present to Post Office chiefs and local councillors.

Mr Baker, a handyman, said: "I have been trying to pay some bills at the post office for days now, but every time I go in there, the queues are huge.


"The other day they were stretching out of the door and people were taking one look and turning around and walking away.

"I will not be going back into the store and have decided that if I need to use a post office I will go to another town or village where the queues are not so bad."

The town, which has a population of around 22,000, used to have a main post office in the High Street and two sub post offices at Redcliffe Bay and West Hill.

Both the sub post offices were closed in July 2005, despite a public campaign to save them.

The High Street post office was also closed, although the sorting office remains, and moved to a local newsagent in the town centre. When that closed, the service, with just four counters, was relocated to McColls.

The population of Portishead has grown massively over the past several years due to the massive regeneration of the town's docks.

When all the developments are complete, the population is expected to reach about 30,000 – making Portishead the second largest town in North Somerset.

Other shoppers said they too had stopped using the post office because of the delays.

Mum-of-two Karen Twyford, 43, from Portishead, said: "We used to have three post offices in Portishead and now we have just the one. I have given up using the post office and go out of town if I need to access any of the services."

Semi-retired farmer Thomas Letts, 74, from Portishead, waited 25 minutes in the queue on Monday just to post a letter overseas.

Mr Letts said: "The queue was coming out of the door and onto the pavement again. We desperately need another post office here."

Following pressure from Portishead Town Council, a business case for a second post office has now been drawn up and submitted to the Royal Mail. A decision is expected in the next few weeks.

A Post Office Ltd spokesman said: "In the run-up to Christmas, post offices do tend to get very busy. We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience. Staff at our Portishead branch are working very hard to ensure customers are served as soon as possible."