By Jenni DixonCOUNCILLORS are outraged that a town could lose another post office just months after two of the its branches shut.The Morrisons chain has taken over the Safeway supermarket chain and has decided to close its in-store post office branches - which includes the Tower Road store in south Lowestoft.

By Jenni Dixon

COUNCILLORS are outraged that a town could lose another post office just months after two of the its branches shut.

The Morrisons chain has taken over the Safeway supermarket chain and has decided to close its in-store post office branches - which includes the Tower Road store in south Lowestoft.

Two post offices in the north and south of the town were recently closed after the Post Office Ltd announced cost-cutting measures.

District councillor, David Young, said: “For south Lowestoft, this would be a great loss.

“I use it for business purposes and it has a big catchment area. If Morrisons are serious about closing it, why don't they put back one in Kirkley again?”

Steve Ardley, a Lowestoft district councillor who uses the post office regularly, said he was outraged by the decision.

“Up to 3,000 customers use this post office and it employs around eight staff. I am urging them to lodge complaints and ask Morrisons to keep the post office open,” he added.

“This closure will put more pressure on the central post office in Lowestoft and the one in Pakefield.”

A spokesman for Post Office Ltd said: “The decision is from Morrisons, not from us. We can confirm that Morrisons have given notice of their intention to remove post office branches from their stores, but we will endeavour to put in place alternative post office facilities in these areas where possible.”

A statement from Morrisons said: “Shortly after the merger of the Safeway and Morrisons businesses, we were contacted by the Post Office requesting a decision on the future of the short-term contracts relating to post offices in Safeway stores.

“We have consequently conducted an urgent review of the stores in question and have decided not to seek new contracts with the Post Office and have given Post Office Ltd, notice of our intention to end the franchise.

“We are continuing our discussions with the Post Office in order to agree a sensible way forward and no final closure dates have been agreed at this stage.”

A spokesman for the Tower Road supermarket added if an alternative operator for the post office cannot be found, its staff will be employed elsewhere in the same store.

jenni.dixon@eadt.co.uk