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BAS FIGHTS AGAIN TO SAVE HAWKINGE POST OFFICE

Fears over the future of small post offices following the Government's announcement to scrap the Post Office Card Account in 4 years time has prompted Hawkinge Postmaster Bas Basra, to launch his fight to save the offices.

Mr. Basra  is no stranger when it comes to saving Post Offices after stepping in 2½ years ago to ensure that Hawkinge continued to have its own Office.

He opened the Hawkinge Post Office in the Community Centre after it had been operating in the OneStop convenience store in Canterbury Road, Hawkinge. Tesco took over the store but didn't want the Post Office.

Mr Basra, who also runs the Post Office in Foord Road, Folkestone has now launched a petition to show the strength of feeling against the Government plans.

He told the Gazette that if he was forced to close, many people would miss out o­n the valuable service the Post Office provides. Many elderly people, whose o­nly regular social contact is their visit to the Post Office will become more isolated. "We provide a very important service to the community," he said.