‘The Post Office is there to serve communities up and down the UK and be the hub of the high street’

THERE will be no bloodbath of Post Office branch closures, its new boss promised yesterday.

- By Giles Sheldrick

To the relief of communities across Britain and an army of loyal postmasters, the 11,500-strong network of counters are set to remain the heartbeat of the high street.

It means towns decimated by the desertion of big-name banks and shops will keep their trusted lifeline.

In his first major interview, Post Office chief executive Neil Brocklehurst was defiant as he told the Daily Express: “I have heard of no plans to change the number from 11,500 and I can unequivocally say that.

“There is nothing in our plans to suggest that will change. The numbers will stay as they are and the locations will stay as they are.”

The first comprehensive review of the beleaguered state-run company in 15 years sparked widespread panic because the Government is consulting on the need to keep branches open.

One option in the Post Office Green Paper is to withdraw the minimum branch requirement, introduced in 2020 by the Tory-Lib Dem coalition after Labour slashed the network in the decade before.

That led to fears that towns could be left with a bare minimum service agreement.

The crisis saw the Express launch the Save Our Post Offices crusade.

But, moving to allay fears of a brutal cull, Mr Brocklehurst said: “The 11,500 is a number but we also have criteria about access — where those branches are placed — because in rural communities those Post Offices are lifelines.

“People have to be within certain distances of Post Offices and, again, I have seen nothing to suggest that would change.