THE last post is being played for a town centre post office in Burnley, but customers may still be able to save it from closure.

The Keirby Walk office has been earmarked for closure by bosses who say the shop is just not busy enough.

Post Office Ltd intends to restructure and modernise its national network of more than 9,000 urban post offices because it says there are too many offices competing for too little business.

They say their ultimate aim is to safeguard access to a post office for all communities. Eddie Herbert, area post offices boss, said: "Proposals to close post offices are not made without considerable research and discussion, so we are anxious that customers and all relevant organisations understand why we consider it necessary to reduce the size of our network.

"The harsh reality is that many urban offices are struggling to survive because there are too many branches for the amount of business.

"In the case of Keirby Walk post office, a declining number of customers, increased running costs, and the prospect of even less business once the Department of Pension transfers payment of benefits from pass books to bank accounts, has prompted the post master to want to leave our business.

"We have considered this request very carefully and have concluded that if this office were to close, it would improve the long-term prospects of the other offices in the area, three of which are within half a mile."

Those post offices are in Hargreaves Street, Todmorden Road and Parliament Street.

Mr Herbert added: "We are confident they could cope with the extra business and therefore are proposing to close Keirby Walk permanently. But before we make a final announcement we are keen to hear of any concerns customers and others might have about the closure and about the service provided by these nearest, alternative offices."

Anyone who would like to express an opinion about the proposed closure should write to Mr Herbert at the National Consulting Team, PO Box 641, St Albans, AL1 5XN.