COUNCIL chiefs have written to the Post Office to say that they "deplore" planned closures of four branches in East Dorset.

In its official response to the Post Office's plans to shut the stores, East Dorset District Council says its main concern is the fact that three of the four proposed closures fall in Ferndown town, at Wimborne Road East, Wimborne Road West in Stapehill and Ringwood Road in Longham.

The fourth branch set to be lost is at Holt Road, Holt. The council says it believes Ferndown is big enough to support two offices.

It wants further consultation should be carried out with a view to retaining a second office, which it says should be Longham.

Council leader, Cllr Spencer Flower, said: "The council strongly disapproves of the decisions made and there is a real concern for the economic and social implications of closing so many of the offices in Ferndown.

"I urge residents to have their say on this matter and I expect the Post Office to take the council's recommendations into account before making their decision."

The council said Ferndown was the largest settlement in East Dorset and had a large proportion of older people. East Dorset as a whole has the second-highest percentage of people of retirement age in the country.

A council spokesman added: "If these closures were to go ahead, the council believes the town's main office in Pennys Walk would not be able to accommodate the increased demand created by displaced customers. This increase is estimated at between 1,000 and 1,500 customers per week, or a percentage increase of between 50 and 60 per cent."

The Post Office says it has to make changes to stem massive financial losses across its network, which currently stand at £4m a week.

A spokesman said: "The present Post Office branch network is not sustainable and the government has decided upon this controlled closure programme to ensure all our customers across the UK still have reasonably good access to Post Office services."

The consultation period ends on September 1.

Write to The National Consultation Team, Post Office Ltd, Freepost Consultation Team or e-mail consultation@postoffice.co.uk.