A retired electricity worker has launched a legal bid to stop his local post office from closing.

Jonathan Coe, whose wife Judy Brown, 61, is disabled, is furious the Hastings Old Town branch will be closed and has written to the Post Office and government ministers demanding the closures are stopped.

He is citing disability discrimination laws in his claim.

If it reaches court, the programme of 49 closures across the county will have to be stopped pending the outcome of the judicial review.

Mr Coe, 60, of Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings, said: "The Old Town has had a branch since the earlier days of the Post Office.

"I realise that times have changed and that for those with cars and internet access in their homes having a local post office may have become less important.

"But for the elderly and disabled, particularly those on low incomes, having a local post office is extremely important and we are really concerned that neither the government nor the Post Office has properly considered these issues."

He has given bosses at Royal Mail, which owns Post Office, and ministers a deadline of Wednesday (February 6) to explain themselves as he prepares to take them to the High Court for a judicial review.

Regulatory body Postwatch has asked the Post Office to review its decision to close five branches, with the Hastings Old Town post office one of them.

Gareth Mitchell of Pierce Glynn solicitors in London, who is acting on behalf of Mr Coe and Ms Brown, said: "In December 2006 the government passed new laws to promote disability equality which required public sector service providers such as the Royal Mail to evaluate the impact of new policies on disabled people and to then adapt those policies to meet the government's objective of ensuring that disabled people can participate in public life as fully as possible.

"These were very progressive changes for which the government should be applauded, however neither the government nor Royal Mail have had any regard to these new legal duties in relation to these closure proposals. That is very clearly unlawful.

"In addition the consultation on the post office closures in Sussex gave respondents less than six weeks to respond and consultees were not told why particular post offices were being selected for closure while other, less frequently used post offices will remain open.

"We are seeking urgent clarification that these closures will be put on hold pending the outcome of this proposed judicial review."

A Post Office spokeswoman declined to comment.

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