Huge support for post office

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STAFF at Burniston Post Office have expressed their surprise and delight at the public support for the campaign to maintain mailwork at the office.

Now, they say, it’s a case of “wait and see” as the Post Office Ltd is considering the matter.

The service came under threat after the Royal Mail requested an end to deliveries from the office.

If the mailwork were withdrawn, customers would have to travel to Scarborough to pick up undelivered mail and staff say the loss of mail work would reduce the office’s income by 25 per cent, which threatens its long-term survival.

Sue Harris, who has run the post office for three and a half years with her husband, sub-postmaster Stuart, said: “We are absolutely bowled over by the amount of support we’ve had – it’s just fantastic. Now it’s a case of wait and hope.”

The Post Office Ltd contacted the office last week to ask for further details of the business’ finances.

Mrs Harris added: “We’ve had a long discussion with POL – they wanted to find out exactly what we do here! Every office operates in a slightly different way, and they need to know how we operate on a day-to-day basis.

“They also wanted to know more about the finances so we’ve sent them accounts that will show the effect losing the mailwork would have on the business.

“At least we haven’t been dismissed out of hand. When we got the first letter it seemed like a done deal that we would lose the mailwork – now that doesn’t seem to be the case, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed.”

Support to maintain mailwork at Burniston has come from Labour prospective parliamentary candidate Annajoy David, Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate Tanya Exley Moore; councillors Andrew Backhouse, Dilys Cluer and Jane Kenyon; Bill Miller, an independent candidate in the forthcoming council by-election in Mayfield; Burniston, Cloughton, Staintondale and Ravenscar Parish Councils and several local churches, as well as many villagers.