THE closure of Darwen Post Offices including Hollins Grove and London Terrace is a cruel blow to local residents, especially the elderly, who rely heavily on such local amenities.

Despite recent public protestations of support for these post offices by the current Darwen Labour MP and Labour Councillors, I doubt whether your readers are aware that Darwen's current Labour MP voted AGAINST a Conservative Motion in Parliament in June last year aimed at saving local post offices.

The Motion would have made it easier for pensioners to get their benefits in cash from the post office, rather than the new electronic card system or direct payments into bank accounts which this government wants to push through against the will of the public.

If Darwen's current MP and her Labour colleagues had voted in favour of our Motion last June, it would have forced the government to reform the system to reflect the concerns of local people and help save the Darwen Post Offices, along with the 3,000 other urban post offices that Labour wants to shut throughout the country.

Let us also be clear that it is the Labour Government's responsibility for these closures as the government is SOLE shareholder of Royal Mail plc which runs the post office network. This fact and Labour MPs' voting record should not be forgotten by Darwen's voters at the next election.

NIGEL ADAMS (Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Darwen).