Don’t allow neglect to stamp out this lifeline

FOR generations, the post office has been much more than a place to buy stamps or pick up a pension; it has been an integral part of local life.

Especially in rural areas, they provide the essential glue which binds a community together. Indeed, for many elderly people and those who don’t drive, they offer invaluable contact with the outside world.

Perhaps, therefore, it’s wise to heed warnings that the network faces a crisis.

Stricken by financial hardship, up to 2,500 post offices – a fifth – could shut next year, devastating towns and villages already reeling from bank branch closures.

Since many places have also lost police stations, libraries and pubs, it is little short of another catastrophic blow to the ailing high street. And that’s without the personal cost to those who lose livelihoods.

Today, the Mail kicks off a campaign to save Britain’s post offices.

First, we believe banks have a moral duty to step up to the plate. When high street lenders cut costs by closing branches, post offices agreed to take on basic services, including cash deposits and withdrawals.

Would it be asking too much to throw them a lifeline by paying decent fees? After all, taxpayers made enormous sacrifices to shovel billions into bailouts in the Square Mile’s hour of need. Meanwhile, oncelucrative revenue streams such as driving licences and road tax have plummeted during the inexorable march to digital.

If ministers continued to pay some £120million a year in subsidies – a drop in the ocean compared to the sums that saved the banks! – it would massively ease anxieties. Crippling business rates and soaring parking charges which compound difficulties could also be reduced.

Lastly, a coherent modernisation strategy is required. Post offices must be properly equipped and funded to embrace the internet age – giving customers more incentive to use them.

The Mail is acutely aware of the dangers of sepia-tinted nostalgia. Businesses must adapt or die. But post offices are more than just balance sheets – they are part of our social fabric. If they disappear, local life will be severely diminished.