TWO Liberal Democrat councillors from St Helens travelled down to London to protest against Government proposals to transfer benefit and pension payments directly into bank accounts instead of post offices.

Post offices union representatives organised a protest rally outside the Houses of Parliament to coincide with Prime Minister's Question Time and thousands of post office staff and supporters attended to show their support, including a contingent from St Helens.

Petitions from every post office represented were handed in to the Government with thousands of signatures from local customers who are against the proposals.

Councillor Suzanne Knight, deputy leader of St Helens Liberal Democrats and Marshalls Cross councillor John Beirne, attended the rally with their own petition which they handed over to Ronnie Fern, Liberal Democrat MP for Southport.

Suzanne said: "We are very pleased to lend our support to this cause. People should still have the choice of collecting their pensions or benefits at their local post office. The Government must listen to what the people want."

John Beirne added: "We have worked very closely with the PO union to try and get the message through to the Government. These new plans could mean a loss of 80 per cent of the post office's trade and may result in the closure of 40 local post offices."