I feel compelled to write to you. I read with horror, sadness and indignation your front page article regarding the closure of our local post office in Preston Road (The Argus, January 29).

I want you to know that Mr and Mrs Patel and their assistant offer a service which will be sadly missed. Nothing is too much trouble for them. They are friendly, caring, courteous, always smiling and inquiring after your health, will always find time for a chat with a little bit of homespun philosophy thrown in. All in all, good decent hardworking folk, a rare trio of sensitive souls still flying the flag for the values of truth, honesty and democracy in this crazy world driven by lust, greed and vanity.

In my opinion, the honours of courage should be showered on the Mr and Mrs Patels of this world, not plastic celebrities.

VJ Hasden Preston Road Brighton SINCE the Post Office has completely ignored all the petitions submitted by our local MPs and is going ahead with the closures of local post offices, the MPs should resubmit the petitions, this time calling for the resignations of Adam Crozier and Allan Leighton, the chief executive and chairman of the Post Office. All members of the public are shareholders in the Post Office and as such should be able to dismiss these two executives. It is not for the Government to decide who runs the Post Office regardless of the views of the shareholders.

Let the local MPs show that they back the public to stop these closures by calling for the sacking of Mr Crozier and Mr Leighton and for them to be replaced by someone who is willing to listen to the demands of the shareholders. If the local MPs are not willing to call for the resignations of the chairman and chief executive then the public should sack their sitting MP at the next election.

B Bayliss Mornington Crescent, Hove THE comment about shortterm, narrow financial interests forcing post office closures is spot on (Letters, January 31). This culture became firmly embedded in the Eighties when the merits of any service provided, or task performed, by Government came totally under the control of accountants.

Previous consideration of benefits to art, community, health, security, or society were swept away and the balance sheet became the overriding factor.

Any hope in 1997 that things would change was short-lived.

There have been many improvements but the "cost is all that matters" culture remains entrenched.

  • Brian Snow, Upper Rock Gardens, Brighton