I WAS so pleased to learn that Councillor Dorothy Gunther and her Conservative colleagues in Ramsbottom have woken up to the problem evident to everyone else for the past few years; namely that local sub-post offices are essential to maintaining a service to the public, and engendering a feeling of community.

Obviously, I applaud her conversion to what everyone else considers to be common sense, in that people want essential services -- such as post offices -- located locally where they can serve local people.

Like Coun Gunther, I am unhappy with local main post offices being closed and re-located to business premises, such as the main post office in Ramsbottom being re-located to the Co-op.

However, what I find difficult to comprehend, is that Coun Gunther and her Conservative councillor colleagues in Ramsbottom, feel so strongly that such re-location is wrong when this was a policy strongly promoted by the previous Conservative Government.

Indeed, the previous Conservative member of Parliament for Bury, Alistair Burt, worked hard to have the main post office in Crompton Street, Bury, closed and relocated to a newsagent's in the Mill Gate Centre. As Minister for the Disabled, he was adamant that the relocated facilities would be accessible to the disabled. Don't ask me -- a blind person -- about the veracity of this, just ask any disabled person what they think.

Yes, Coun Gunther, local post offices are important and must be protected. Your belated conversion is appreciated, even if your motives are somewhat suspect.

KEITH ROTHWELL,

Labour candidate,

Ramsbottom.