THE decision to close seven post offices throughout Cleveland has been met with dismay.

On Wednesday, it was confirmed that offices in Station Road, Eaglescliffe; Upsall Grove, Fairfield; Hartburn Village; Esk Close, Guisborough, and three in Middlesbrough, would close on August 2.

Post Office area manager Eddie Herbert said it had considered representations and petitions and held a meeting with councillors. Customer numbers were declining, running costs increasing and more benefit payments were being transferred from pass books to bank accounts.

"The main concerns were about the effect of the closures on elderly customers and about the convenience of nearby alternative branches," he said.

"While I appreciate it will be inconvenient for some customers to use an alternative post office, I have taken into account the local terrain, parking and public transport.

"I still believe the permanent closure of these offices is the correct course of action. I am confident that other branches in these constituencies are suitably located and can cope with the extra business these closures will cause."

Egglescliffe ward councillor Maureen Rigg said: "I'm very disappointed and I feel that the Post Office hasn't taken into account what the catchment area is for Station Road.

"I feel they could have looked at putting even a part-time counter in one of the other properties.

"As ward councillors, myself and Coun Fletcher will be monitoring how the closure affects people, and if we thought there was a chance of opening another community post office, we would support it 100pc."

Coun Graham Jeffery, whose Guisborough Town Council ward includes the Esk Close post office, said the news of the closures was terrible.

"This is another move by the Post Office against the good of the people," he said.

A final decision on Billingham's Low Grange post office will be made at a later date.