Maldon town centre's post office is set to close, with its staff fearing they could be out of a job in the New Year.

Plan for closure - Maldon post office in High Street. Picture: ADRIAN RUSHTON (46533-1)

The High Street branch is earmarked for closure and will be moved to a new location 50 yards across the road to Budgens supermarket.

The public have just six weeks to have their say about the plan.

The move would see the Post Office going into partnership with Musgrave Group, which owns Budgens and which would run the new branch.

Maldon branch manager Sharon Burne said the revelations that the nine members of staff would lose their jobs came "like a bolt out of the blue".

A Post Office spokesman said: "We will not be making anyone compulsorily redundant. We will work with staff to either help them find jobs internally or externally following the move."

A spokeswoman for Budgens said it was in negotiations with Royal Mail but declined to comment further.

The Post Office has said the plans are not set in stone yet. It has called for Maldon people to offer their views in writing by January 10 to Tracy Marshall, network service manager, Post Office Ltd, c/o National Consultation Team, PO Box 2060, Watford, WD18 8ZW.

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Published Thursday, December 1, 2005

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