POST Office staff have called upon the local community for help in a bid to save the Chandler's Ford outlet from closure.

The Fryern Arcade Post Office was due to close on Wednesday October 23, after staff and residents say they were were given almost no notice about the impending fate of the popular shop.

Today however, staff have stopped trading early in protest and have been advising customers to "contact the people responsible" in the Post Office LTD

head office regarding the closure.

Residents have already began signing a petition at the post office to keep it open, including Eastleigh councillor Tim Groves.

Aaron Joseph, who has been running the Fryern Arcade post office for the past year is outraged by the decision.

He said: "It is a very busy, profitable Post Office and it's incredible that they can shut it down with this little notice.

"They're taking all of the equipment and computers immediately. People have jobs here and the closure would have such bad implications on the area.

"They need to either reinstate the previous postmaster like they said, or I am happy to run it until they find another suitable applicant."

A Post Office statement says: "We were preparing for Fryern Hill Post Office to temporarily close on 23 October due to the resignation of the Postmaster.

"However, the operator of the branch has brought that date forward to today (21 October).

"We try, whenever possible, to give sufficient notice of any Post Office branch closure, however, unfortunately on this occasion this was not possible."

Resident Wendy Ellis said: "We went down there to get our pension this morning but they've closed down.

"It's not fair on pensioners who need to collect their money as the nearest one is over a mile away."

Councillor Tim Groves is also outraged by the decision saying it is "completely unacceptable" to not have a service in Chandler's Ford and has since launched an online petition to try and get the decision reversed.