"NEWS of our closure has been very much exaggerated."

That was the message today from staff at a York post office who hit out at prospective councillors, over a newsletter which, they say, suggests they are closing.

June and Mel Raper, who run Tang Hall Lane Post Office, are unhappy over a Liberal Democrat Focus newsletter, which includes a picture of their shop under the headline "Lib Dems fight Post Office cuts".

The picture shows local Lib Dems Graeme Cooke and Rachel Williams in front of the shop.

But Mr Raper, whose wife is sub-postmistress, said neither Mr Cooke nor Ms Williams had asked permission to use the photograph, and said they were "scaremongering" local people.

He said the branch was not in any specific danger at present.

Mr Raper said: "They never asked us if they could use the shop, never asked if our post office was closing, and never even dropped off a Focus leaflet to us."

He said he knew nothing about the leaflet, which had been distributed in the City of York Council's Hull Road ward, until several older customers came in to the shop saying they were concerned that it was closing imminently.

He added: "This has just been done a bit underhand I think. It certainly gives the impression that we are closing."

The leaflet invited residents to sign their opposition to post office closures, and quoted Mr Cooke as saying: "We now seem lucky to have just two post offices in our ward, but unfortunately this seems unlikely to last.

"Nationally and locally, Labour seem incapable of recognising the importance of post offices to local people and communities."

In response to Mr Raper's complaint, Mr Cooke said: "It's very regrettable if any misunderstanding has been caused. We did not intend that to happen.

"It's part of a national campaign and we are just trying to get across the fact that post offices are in danger, and, if the Government does not change policy, then post offices are under real threat.

"We did not intend to cause any upset and regret if any has been caused."

Andrew Waller, the council's executive member for neighbourhood services, said: "We are campaigning for local services and that's why a local post office was used on that leaflet.

He added: "If the sub-postmistress has been upset by this, this is something we can talk to them about."