WORRIED shoppers demonstrated outside a Clevedon post office to protest against the closure of 2,500 branches.

WORRIED shoppers demonstrated outside a Clevedon post office to protest against the closure of 2,500 branches.

Thousands of branches across the country are due to be closed this year and Post Office will be announcing which stores will be shut in the Bristol and Somerset area next month.

Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for North Somerset, Brian Mathew, led the protest outside West End Post Office, in Old Church Road.

A number of supporters turned up to hold placards opposing the closures, which they feel will be detrimental to the elderly and people living in small towns and villages.

Mr Mathew said: "The policy is not fair and it's not green. How can pensioners be expected to travel all day to post a letter or withdraw their pensions?

"Thanks to the state of rural transport, this will be the case for an increasing number of people who don't have the luxury of their own cars and for the rest of us it's also going to mean longer queues and further to travel."

The post offices in Sixways and the Triangle in Clevedon are also under threat.

Postmistress, Angela Lim, from the West End branch is supporting the campaign to keep her store open.

She said: "I would like to stay here if I can, but I don't know yet whether we'll be closing or not.

"I don't think it's a good idea to close so many post offices, because they are vital to local people.