CIVIC leaders have voiced their dismay at the Post Office's decision to close four branches in the Basingstoke area, despite strong local opposition.

The sites at Queens Road in Brookvale, Kings Road in South Ham, Worting Road in Worting, and Vyne Road in South View, have been earmarked to close in the near future. The closure dates have still to be confirmed.

A fifth branch in Winklebury, which has been temporarily closed for more than three years, has also been confirmed as a permanent closure.

Leader of the Basingstoke council Labour group, Cllr Sean Keating, who represents the South Ham ward, said: "The three Labour councillors in South Ham are outraged that the farce of consultation has ignored the well-expressed wishes of the people."

Fellow ward councillor Gerry Traynor said: "We are absolutely devastated on behalf of the older people in the South Ham area, particularly around Kings Road."

He said some older people would not be able to walk to the nearest post office in Buckland Avenue and there was no direct bus service. To get a bus into the town centre would mean paying £3 in fares out of their pension.

He added that the possibility of providing a community post office or a mobile office was being looked at, but this would be a major step which would need a lot of help.

Cllr John Shaw, the Liberal Democrat borough councillor who represents the Brookvale and Kings Furlong ward, said: "This is extremely disappointing news that is doubly unfortunate as we had asked the Post Office for a meeting.

It's most regrettable they have gone ahead with these closures prior to that meeting."

Nearly 1,000 people signed a petition protesting against the South Ham closure, while a petition in Brookvale was signed by more than 200 people.

The decision to consider the bran-ches for closure was made with the agreement of the postmasters at each branch, who said they were being forced to close because of a decline in customers.

Drew McBride, from Post Office Ltd, said it was acknowledged that seeing a local facility close was disappointing for those people who use it.

He added: "While at this time it is of little consolation to those customers, it is only by closing branches where alternatives are available and accessible to customers that we can maintain a nationwide network of Post Office branches for the long term."