Plans to close five Mid Sussex post offices were announced today.

Post Office Ltd wants to shut down branches in High Street, Lingfield Road and North End in East Grinstead and Queens Road and Sunte Avenue in Haywards Heath.

It says it can no longer afford to keep all 23 Mid Sussex branches open because there is not enough business to go round.

Drew McBride, Post Office area manager, said: "No change is not an option for Post Office Ltd which is losing increasing amounts of money - £194 million last year alone.

"Nor is it an option for sub postmasters whose branches are simply taking too little to pay their way.

"By managing closures through this programme we will have fewer branches but these will be viable and have a future.

"Of course we realise that losing the neighbourhood office on the doorstep will be an inconvenience for customers whose branch closes but this is not an issue on which Post Office Ltd can stand still."

Mr McBride also pointed out that 95 per cent of people in towns and cities live within a mile of their nearest branch.

Postwatch South East England, the regional consumer watchdog for postal services, is planning to meet local MPs and local authorities to discuss the proposals.

Chairman Dr David Bland said: "We will be carefully considering the Post Office's plans and the suggested future provision of the post office network in Mid-Sussex.

"Postwatch negotiated with Post Office Ltd for extensive consultation with local communities on all proposed closures and we see this as very important.

"It is a sad fact that customer numbers at post offices have been falling, pushing some sub-postmasters to resign and close shop.

"Postwatch wants to make sure that people living in areas of Mid Sussex who are affected by the plans to reinvent the network are made aware of the changes and have the chance to tell us if the Post Office has got it right."

Members of the Postwatch Regional Committee are analysing the likely impact of the proposals.

An assistant at one of the post offices earmarked for closure said: "We have been backed into a corner.

"We can't really comment because we would get into trouble with Post Office Ltd.

"They told us that if we were to survive we would have to double in size, yet they would only provide a 50 per cent subsidy towards it and not pay for any training or anything.

"That's impossible for any family-run business."

Anyone wanting to comment on the proposals can write by Tuesday December 23 to National Consultation Team, PO Box 2060, Watford, WD18 82W.