Petitions with more than 5,000 signatures were posted from one of the threatened branches with a message from the Mail urging the Post Office to take heed.

The Mail tried to arrange to hand over the petitions to Post Office area management but were told that could not be arranged and that the completed forms had to be posted as part of the official consultation process.

At least it was Freepost . . . but 78p was paid to ensure next-day delivery!

There are three post offices in Hartlepool under threat of closure and the six-week consultation period has ended with a final decision just weeks away.

Elwick Road post office, Raby Estate post office, in Chatham Road, and Hart post office, in Hart village, are all earmarked for closure.

The Post Office is undergoing a re-structuring process which will see 2,500 offices close nationwide in a bid to cut losses that topped £200million last year.

Young and old have been signing petitions and collecting signatures in an attempt to show local support for the under-fire post offices.
Just over two months ago the Mail launched the Protect Our Post Office campaign to encourage as many people as possible to join the fight.

Army veteran Allan Barclay and town pensioner Bill Sunley both collected more than 1,000 signatures each to help save Elwick Road post office. Mr Barclay, 54, of Leyburn Street, Hartlepool, said: "We have done the best we can. We will just have to wait and see what the Post Office come back with.

"I believe we have put forward a very strong case for post offices in the town to remain open. We hope all the signatures that have been collected will have a sway in the decision.

"If the Elwick Road post office were to close it would cause real hardship for the people of this community but that goes for all post offices in Hartlepool."

Mr Sunley, 84, a former boilermaker from Wansbeck Gardens, said: "I think the campaign has gone well and we have had a lot of support.

"I think they have closed enough Post Offices in Hartlepool and they should leave us alone.

"I have been coming into Elwick Road post office for many years and I have never not had to queue, it is always busy. This isn't just about the effect it will have on the old and disabled people, there are many families that use post offices too.

"We have had overwhelming support from residents. I am still hopeful that it will be saved."

Hutton Henry Post Office, in Front Street, Hutton Henry, and two in Billingham, the Cowpen Estate, in Cowpen Lane, and Wolviston Court, in Clifton Avenue are also on the proposed closure list.
Hartlepool Borough Council has sent its official response complete with evidence put forward arguing the case of all post offices in the town.

All the information sent to the consultation team will now be fed into the system before a final decision on the proposed closures is made.

A final decision is expected within three weeks but there will be no closures before June this year.

The proposed closures in Hartlepool come under the area plan for Cleveland, South Durham and Richmond.