MORE than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for the urgent reopening of a post office in Wallasey.

The branch, in Wallasey Village, was one of several in Wirral closed temporarily last month because of problems with the computer system nationally.

The petition is part of a campaign organised by ward councillor Paul Hayes and the communication workers union to have this sub-post office and others in New Brighton and Upton restored.

In a statement, the Post Office said it was "working hard to restore services for the community as quickly as possible."

Cllr Hayes said: "The post office in Wallasey Village is a lifeline for many people, not least because we no longer have a bank in the village.

"The sub-postmasters here, Pete and Minh Murray have been treated very badly.

"The heavy-handed approach by the senior managers in the post officers has caused problems for customers, especially in the run up to Christmas.

"We need the post office re-opened and quickly."

Mark Baker, Branch Secretary of the Postmasters Branch of the Communication Workers Union said: "The Post Office must stop this suspend first and then decide to start an investigation later mentality.

"Our member Pete Murray has been asking the Post Office for help with the malfunctions occurring at his Post Office for a long time now and he has been ignored.

"There is no need to suspend Mr Murray these investigations can take place behind the scenes whilst the Branch is kept open. Both the public and Mr Murray are being unnecessarily punished.

"The Post Office are being sued in the High Court over their computer system and during the trial the Post Office have admitted that the system does go wrong and on occasions they have covered up system faults. We believe Mr Murray is another victim of this computer system. The CWU is calling for Mr Murray’s reinstatement immediately."

Now, in a further move, Cllr Hayes and Cllr Ian Lewis will ask the Council for its backing at the next meeting on December 10, to put extra pressure on the Post Office to have the branch re-opened.

Councillor Hayes and campaigners have delivered several thousand leaflets, with a petition slip, and people can also sign online at www.wirralconservatives.com/postoffice

A Post Office spokeswoman told the Globe: "We sincerely apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused by the temporary closure of the Post Office branch.

"We understand and appreciate how much communities rely on our services.

"The decision to suspend services is taken very seriously and with great care.

"We will only do so when it is warranted by the circumstances of the particular case, for example to protect customers, Post Office assets or the safety and security of the Post Office network.

"It would not be fair or appropriate for us discuss individual cases but we are working hard to restore services for the community as quickly as possible."

In response to communications workers union secretary Mark Baker's comments on the High Court trial, the spokeswoman added: "This is complex litigation, with a series of trials over the next 12 months, seeking to resolve a long-running dispute between Post Office and a group of mostly former postmasters.

"Post Office is robustly defending its position and we have confidence in our network of 11,500 Post Office branches and the systems underpinning it.

"The Horizon computer system is operated successfully by thousands of employees, postmasters and their staff to process 47 million transactions every week."

Editor's note - we have been asked to point out that New Brighton Post Office in Victoria Road is not the one referred to in the article.

Post Master Ian Cubbin said: "It was reported that there had been difficulties at the New Brighton Post Office. 

"The Post Office in Seabank Road was previously closed for some weeks but has now reopened and there have been no difficulties of any kind at the New Brighton Post Office in Victoria Road. 

"The Post Office has been busier than usual because of the continued disruption in other parts of Wallasey, but the staff there are available and ready to help during the busy Christmas period."