We shall not be moved: Edward Davey MP joins post office protesters
The Surrey Comet campaign to save the borough's six post offices up for closure has received support from thousands of concerned residents.
It is hoped that mass protests, two public meetings and reams of petitions will convince Post Office Ltd that Kingston means business when it comes to fighting closures.
The borough's key political figures have also rallied together to save the branches at Burlington Road and Kingston Road in New Malden, Hook Rise South in Surbiton, Malden Road in Worcester Park and Surbiton Road and Chestnut Grove in Kingston.
Support
Almost 2,500 people signed petitions in shops and newsagents, with a further 231 having their say online ahead of the April 2 consultation deadline.
Kingston and Surbiton MP Edward Davey said: "The campaign has been outstanding.
"I am grateful to the Surrey Comet and other politicians for working with me and providing a united response.
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"The public meetings have been really well attended and we have shown the many flaws in the consultation.
"As the debate in Parliament has shown, the Government is determined to push ahead with this disastrous closure programme."
London mayoral candidate Boris Johnson signed the petition when he visited the borough on Saturday and Ken Livingstone also backed the Surrey Comet campaign and pressed for a judicial review over the 171 proposed closures in London.
Closer to home, support for Norbiton Common post office has been overwhelming, with 880 people signing our petition in that shop alone.
“Almost every customer who came in signed the petition and showed us their support. Twenty years I have been here – it is going to hurt everybody."
Sub-postmaster Harshad Patel
Sub-postmaster Harshad Patel said: "Almost every customer who came in signed the petition and showed us their support. Twenty years I have been here - it is going to hurt everybody.
"They are really not happy about it closing down. They have got a long way to go to the other post offices, and that's our main concern."
Petitions
Helen Whately, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Kingston and Surbiton, collected hundreds of signed leaflets which she hoped would boost the borough's case.
She said: "We have had a huge response and the level of feeling about it has been incredible. There is a sense that public services are being dismantled and people are not being listened to."
The petitions were presented at Kingston Council's full council meeting by Surrey Comet editor Sean Duggan yesterday.
Council leader Derek Osbourne insisted it was important to keep fighting but maintained that the council was unlikely to take the branches over.
He said: "The post office is a valuable local resource and should be retained by the post office and we will keep that pressure going.
"Saying we will rescue the post office in advance of the decision lets Post Office Ltd walk away."
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