A SUFFOLK MP has backed a Post Office bid to win a �450million Government contract seen as vital for securing the future of thousands of branches.

Dan Poulter has called on Whitehall to award a key Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency (DVLA) contract to the postal firm.

Dr Poulter, MP for central Suffolk and north Ipswich, said it was vital the county’s vulnerable rural residents were able to access key Government services.

The Department of Transport, in a bid to save money, has put much of the DVLA’s work out to tender. Post Office Limited is one of the group’s bidding for the �450m contract, which is expected to be awarded later this summer.

The National Federation of Sub-Postmasters has warned failure to secure the DVLA contract will mean thousands of branch closures because Post Office counters will not have enough work to stay open.

Dr Poulter said: “Local village services such as the post office, pub and store form the lifeblood of our rural communities.

“Our village post offices are particularly important for vulnerable elderly residents or those without their own cars, who find it difficult to travel to neighbouring villages to access the key everyday services, advice and support that post office stores so ably provide.”

Penny Sunaway, of Otley Post Office, said: “The DVLA contract for the post office is just one of the many government services that we need to maintain and grow in order to sustain a viable post office network servicing each community whether rural or urban.”