ROYAL Mail officials have denied Romsey Post Office is heading for the chop in a nationwide review of high street branches.

The Post Office's chief executive David Mills confirmed he is writing to every MP in the country to reassure them about the long-term future of branches such as Romsey's Church Street branch.

Mr Mills, denied reports that the review of the 555 branches directly managed and staffed by the company would result in large numbers closing.

He stressed: "We anticipate that fewer than five directly managed branches will need to close in 2005/06."

Mr Mills said the directly managed branches lost more than £70 million last year. That was why the Post Office was working on plans, in consultation with the unions, to bring the 555 directly managed branches to break-even.

Issuing a 'hands off Romsey Post Office warning, the town's MP, Sandra Gidley, said: "Romsey Post Office provides an invaluable service to the community and must stay open. If it does close then people will have further to travel and will not have local access to services such as renewal of car tax and passport checking.

"The problem is that Royal Mail have not thought through how to run a business in the 21st century and have not adapted to the changing lifestyles of the public. At the head of the business there is a narrow mindset which has complained about the erosion of existing services but has not actively embraced new ideas or devised ways of attracting new business."

She added: "It is pie in the sky to believe that supermarkets and other large concerns will want to take over these businesses when all the evidence is to the contrary.

"The closure of rural post offices under the Conservatives was a scandal but the further closures under Labour are nothing less than a national disaster."