The protest held outside the Post Office on Saturday morning was a magnificent success. We had people actually queuing to sign our petitions, and many had come into the town centre just to sign – for no other reason. Even LibDem councillor Doreen Holt signed!

The employees in the Post Office were, apparently, not allowed to speak to us. But we did see one letter to customers which simply defied belief. It said that because the decision was a commercial one there could be no ‘public debate’ and there was no need for public ‘consent’. Well, all due apologies to the Royal Mail, but there has been more than a little public debate as only a cursory glance at the Gazette will tell them. Such a statement demonstrates incredible arrogance on their part.

Will it have an impact? Who knows. I hope at the very least we will ram home our points about accessibility. It is not enough to say there is a lift – many people have very large mobility scooters to manoeuvre not just into the lift but through aisles, and at peak times there will be bound to be queues and chaotic scenes.

And more widely, it is clear that Government needs to think more cleverly about the future of Post Offices rather than just standing by as they shut willy-nilly. They provide a public service – so lets think of other things Post Offices can provide that will make them more attractive. There are apparently some 800 post offices who, incredibly, have fewer than 16 customers a week. I find that hard to believe but, if true, it shows we must look at combining them with village shops or pubs, as some have done. Many elderly customers may not own computers, but some of them (not all, I realise) might welcome the opportunity to access the Internet on the odd ocassion without the need to purchase all the paraphernalia. Maybe Post Offices could offer that for a small fee? I am sure there is an immense wealth of ideas out there if only government had the will.