Royal Mail bosses have been told to come clean over their plans for a threatened post office.

Ivor Caplin, MP for Hove, has given them seven days to outline the future of his constituency's main outlet.

He has promised to take the issue to Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt if they fail to meet the deadline.

Mr Caplin said it was unacceptable the office in Church Road is due to shut on May 28 without a proper alternative being available.

He said: "I have been asking them for three weeks to tell me what their plans are and they have failed to respond.

"It is time for them to come clean. If they do not, I shall take the matter up with Patricia Hewitt at the Department of Trade and Industry."

Mr Caplin, defence minister for veterans, said suggestions the post office should be moved to a temporary Portakabin outside Hove town hall were unsatisfactory.

He added: "Proposals to transfer services to the much smaller branch in Blatchington Road are also unrealistic. It will simply not be able to cope with the 8,000 customers the main office in Church Road deals with each week.

"I am very concerned at the lack of action there appears to be from the Royal Mail over this."

The Argus has revealed the future of the office was under threat as sub-postmistress Mary Hodgson had resigned after nine years because she can no longer afford the rent.

The freehold of the building is owned by Saied Abdulkhani, proprietor of the neighbouring Italian restaurant and pizzeria Otello.

He is believed to be considering plans to extend the restaurant but is still willing to renegotiate the lease with the Royal Mail.

Mr Abdulkhani said the rent on the post office building had been not reviewed for a number of years and he felt his proposed new rent was reasonable. In a letter to campaigners who want to keep the office where it is, he said: "I have at no point suggested to the patrons of the post office I want them to leave.

"I agree it is an invaluable convenience and necessity and I regret they failed even to attempt to negotiate with me."

More than 400 people have signed a petition started by Val Tancock, manageress of nearby Johnson Cleaners UK, to save the office.

She said: "The community needs its post office.

"We have had people coming in purely to sign the petition. Everyone feels very strongly about it."

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: "The postmistress has resigned and we have to find someone to take over from her. That person may or may not take over the existing building depending on what their plans are.

"We will not know what is going to happen with the Church Road branch until a new appointment is made."