YOUR article in opposition to the closure of post offices (October 15) is a laudable stance.

However, you seem unwilling to note the comments given by the people interviewed as part of the article. All three made more or less the same points which are as follows:

1. The business as a whole is losing - at the last estimate about £1 million a day. Given this extraordinary loss the directors are in the process of making substantial changes to the business to try to turn this situation around, and this involves many cost-saving exercises. Unfortunately this will involve closing some post offices.

2. Everyone involved in running sub post offices is aware of the problems closure causes for customers, many of whom are elderly and unable to easily cope with change. However, faced with a steady decline in business and a related fall in income, many sub-postmasters are increasingly finding it hard to run a viable business. This has become more pronounced by the move to have pensions and allowances paid straight into bank accounts.

In attempting a campaign to oppose closure of Post Offices, you have missed a chance by a mile, and should have led a far more important campaign to retain the payment of pensions through post offices.

Robin Tomlinson,

Clifton Post Office,

Dikelands Lane,

Upper Poppleton, York.

Updated: 12:29 Wednesday, October 30, 2002