THOUSANDS of post office customers in York have supported the campaign to protect their local branches from closure.

Outlets across the city have reported a huge groundswell of concern among their regulars about the Government's plans to withdraw funding for the Post Office Card Account (POCA).

The National Federation of SubPostmasters (NFSP) has launched a national petition against the proposals, as it said they will force many branches out of business.

York MP Hugh Bayley has also opposed the move, and written to John Hutton, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to voice his concerns.

He said there was no evidence of any loss to the Government through fraud in the transmission of payments to the POCA.

Christine Waddington, 57, sub-postmistress at Bright Street Post Office for the last 15 years, said hundreds of customers had already signed the petition.

"This proposal would be the final nail in the coffin unless the Government comes up with another scheme where the post office can be used," she said.

"I don't think people can cope with yet another change.

"A lot of my customers are upset about this."

All 14,500 post offices in Britain were sent copies of the petition, with the NFSP aiming to secure three million signatures.

Alistair Murray, 51, sub-postmaster at Crichton Road Post Office for nearly six years, said they had collected more than 1,000 signatures in the space of a week. Everybody we've mentioned it to has signed it and we've had people coming in especially," he said.

"The local post office is very dear to people's hearts.

Mr Bayley said: "Post Office cards saved the Government a lot of money and reduced social security fraud because many of the old order books used to be stolen.

"But a lot of disabled and elderly customers found it difficult to switch from order books to the new cards. The Government shouldn't force them to switch again."

Updated: 09:46 Friday, May 05, 2006