SIR, — The decision by the Post Office to close the branch at 107 Station Road, Harpenden (Herts Advertiser, September 18), was announced much to the disappointment of local residents. What has particularly alarmed me is that the Post Office has made grea

SIR, - The decision by the Post Office to close the branch at 107 Station Road, Harpenden (Herts Advertiser, September 18), was announced much to the disappointment of local residents. What has particularly alarmed me is that the Post Office has made great claim that the main branch in the town centre would be able to adequately cope with the additional business generated by the closure.

However recently, after queuing at the main Harpenden post office for some considerable time, I asked the member of staff serving me how they were going to cope when the other Station Road post office closed as the queues at that particular moment in time were so significant.

His answer was that he didn't know, that because of the length of the queue he was not looking forward to being there at closing time as it was unlikely that they were going to be able to deal with all the people waiting and he didn't think that the main Post Office were going to get any more staff.

His puzzlement over the situation clearly demonstrates that the Post Office hasn't spoken to its staff and explained how business will be continued in the future. Clearly the Post Office has not listened to the public who have argued for the continued provision of 107 Station Road. Worse still, it doesn't appear to have listened or consulted with its own staff.

I feel enormously disappointed with the manner in which the Post Office has conducted this whole episode. It has not made any effort to anticipate the pitfalls and problems that lay ahead when it took the decision to close 107 Station Road. I feel so sorry for those living at Batford, north of the Lower Luton Road, who have so much further to go to purchase their everyday post office commodities. I feel sorry for the community that has been let down by the Post Office and I feel sorry at the misleading way in which the Post Office has made this consultation process into a farce.

CLLR MRS PAT KENT,

Harpenden Town Mayor