RESIDENTS have voiced their opposition to plans to close a village post office in a swathe of cuts announced recently.

The Sunderland Road sub-post office in Horden is among 19 threatened closures in the east Durham and Wearside.

Horden Residents' Association staged a protest meeting, three years after fighting off a previous threatened closure of the branch.

But they fear the Post Office plans, announced last month, will be carried through as part of a national streamlining programme.

A public consultation exercise is under way to gather opinions of local people, with views to be lodged by Friday, July 2.

Association group chairman George Jones said it would be the elderly and disabled who would suffer most if the closure of the Sunderland Road branch went ahead.

"This is one of the most deprived areas of the country and this is going to be another nail in its coffin," he said.

"We got a petition up to stop it being closed about three years ago, but we're more of less resigned to it going this time."

Mr Jones said the village would still have one remaining post office, should the closure proceed, but he added that some people would be faced with a walk of a mile-plus in each direction.

* Comments about Horden and other closures should be lodged with Postwatch on (08456) 013265, or with Post Office Closures, Freepost, Postwatch, by July 2.