Mayor in court bid to save post offices

4:30pm Monday 17th March 2008

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Mayor Ken Livingstone has revealed plans to take Royal Mail to court in a bid to save the capital's post offices from closure.

After consulting with lawyers, the London mayor, who has been lobbying the Government over the phasing out of post offices since 2002, intends to take the battle to court on the grounds that its consultation is flawed.

Mr Livingstone is arguing that Royal Mail has not given enough time for a thorough consultation.

He said: "Communities in every part of London, especially the most vulnerable people, depend on their local post office. After writing to the Post Office Ltd with my concerns and receiving an inadequate reply I'm left with no alternative but to go to court.

"Over the last seven years there has been a 45 per cent reduction in the number of post offices open in London while at the same time the number of people living and working in the capital has increased. Now is not the time to be closing post offices but expanding the service."

London has 171 post offices earmarked for closure. Haringey has seven post offices earmarked for closure.

The government is closing 2,500 branches across the country to preserve the network's £150 million annual subsidy and curb its £4m-a-week losses .