THRIPLOW residents are fighting back in a bid to save their 125-year-old post office. Public consultation on plans to close the post office, in Middle Street, began today (Wednesday), and will run for six weeks. Worried residents are forming an action gro

THRIPLOW residents are fighting back in a bid to save their 125-year-old post office.

Public consultation on plans to close the post office, in Middle Street, began today (Wednesday), and will run for six weeks.

Worried residents are forming an action group which is meeting for the first time this evening to discuss their options.

A spokesman for the group, Kevin Clarke, said: "There has been a post office on this site for at least 125 years, it really is the centre of the village community.

"The Post Office has released a branch access report this week, and the reasons they are giving for closing the Thriplow branch seem to be a complete load of rubbish."

The report highlights other nearby branches in Foxton and Fowlmere, and claims that three buses a day run between the villages and Thriplow.

However, Mr Clarke believes this is misleading.

"Two of the buses pass through the village without stopping. The other stops in Fowlmere for six minutes before going back to Thriplow.

"You'd have to be an Olympic sprinter to get from the bus stop to the post office and back in that time," he said.

Mr Clarke also believes the future of the village shop, which is also run from the site, could be at risk if the post office closes.

"The post office and shop are run by the community as a co-operative," he said.

"If we lose the funding for a postmistress, which is £6,000, the shop will be in the red too and may have to close."

Plans to shut down the post office, which only re-opened in June after a period of closure, were first revealed two weeks ago.

At the time, postmistress Helen Harbud told The Crow the news had come as "a real shock".

She said: "Everyone has just got used to having a post office again and now it looks like it will be closed for good.