PLEASE, let me thank the many readers who wrote to the Prime Minister in protest at his government's intention to pay pensions and benefits directly into banks from the end of next year instead of into post offices.

Two thousand sub postmasters, mistresses and supporters filed through the Lobby of the House of Commons; a nationwide petition of more than three million signatures was earlier handed to Tony Blair and this was followed by a full day's debate in the House on the future of post offices.

All this should have made it crystal clear to the Government that millions of voters will make their final judgment at the General Election in a year or so's time.

This massive public protest has, however, been met with placatory words which mask the Government's continuing determination to press on with automatic cash transfer payment through banks and their obstinate refusal to introduce swipecards in place of costly order books, despite trials of the former showing a massive saving of several million pounds in fraud alone.

The sad fact is that had the whizz kids in the bright ideas departments of Whitehall taken the trouble to test their ideas with pensioners and sub postmasters, this situation need not have arisen. Presumably, they believed they know best and we are here to do their bidding.

Should a truly 'caring' government threaten sub post offices with closure, and, should pensioners and other vulnerable people be worried by the threat, as they are now?

DON YATES, sub postmaster, Rufford Post Office, Rufford, Ormskirk.