An East Lancashire MP has stepped up his campaign against the proposed closure of Barnoldswick Delivery Office by writing directly to Royal Mail chair.
Jonathan Hinder, who represents Pendle and Clitheroe, has published a copy of the letter, in which he urges Daniel Křetínskto to reconsider the move and warns it could worsen an already poor service in the area.
In the letter, Mr Hinder says he has regularly been contacted by constituents about postal delays since being elected two years ago, with particular concerns raised in Barnoldswick.
He wrote: "The situation in the Barnoldswick area is appalling, with constituents telling me that they often need to visit the delivery office to collect undelivered mail, having waited weeks for it to arrive."
Mr Hinder argues that closing the delivery office would place further pressure on local services and inconvenience residents who rely on being able to collect missed deliveries locally.
He said: "I am concerned that the closure of the Barnoldswick Delivery Office will only make this service even worse.
"Residents value the ability to access services directly through the Barnoldswick office, particularly when collecting undelivered items or seeking assistance with postal enquiries."
The MP also raised concerns about the impact on older residents, disabled people and those without access to private transport, who could be forced to travel further to access postal services.
He added: "The loss of a local delivery office would mean long journeys for both customers and postal workers to the nearest alternative and will badly affect older people, disabled residents and those with limited access to private transport."
Mr Hinder said Barnoldswick serves as an important hub for surrounding rural communities and warned that the closure could have wider consequences for the town.
He called on Royal Mail to abandon the proposal and produce a plan to improve services in the area.
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The latest intervention comes days after the MP launched a petition opposing the closure.
Providing an update to residents, Mr Hinder said: "We've now reached 377 signatures on the petition. Let's try and get it to 500 by the end of this week.
"I would've just sent it by post, but given the state of the service and the urgency of the campaign, I've sent it by email too!"
He is also asking residents and business owners to share their experiences of Royal Mail services and explain how the closure would affect them.
Royal Mail has been approached for comment on the proposed closure.
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