AINSWORTH villagers fear their post office could be under threat as part of a government review of services.

Post Office Ltd will close 2,500 branches across the country before the end of 2008 to tackle the decline in customer numbers.

But people living in Ainsworth are concerned that their post office in Church Street could be one of those facing closure.

The branch was closed for two weeks recently following an armed robbery, and members of Ainsworth Community Association claim it left a large hole in services in the area.

They have since written to Ivan Lewis, MP for Bury South, asking for his help in saving the branch.

Deputy chairman George Parker said: "There are going to be a lot of post offices closed and I understand that it will be measured on economic viability, not their value to a particular community. That is a very narrow way of thinking. If our post office were to close, it would change the way of life for a lot of people. It is always busy and well-used.

"People who rely on the post office for collecting their benefits will be greatly inconvenienced, especially the elderly and those without transport. It is also used as a bank where people can pay in and draw out money. Added to that, there are the odd grocery items, stationery items and other things which people can buy there."

Mr Parker, who lives in the village, says that although there are post offices in Higher Ainsworth Road, Radcliffe, and Ainsworth Road, Bury, they are not on the bus routes through Ainsworth. Instead, villagers would have to travel to Mile Lane, Bury, and could be forced to spend a lot of time waiting for buses.

He said: "Many people don't have their own car and find it difficult to travel by bus, so the closure of the post office would have a huge impact on them. There is only one other shop in Ainsworth, and that is at the other end of the village. This is the last thing resembling a community shop in the area."

The association has written to Mr Lewis and he has passed on their concerns to Jim Fitzpatrick MP, from the Department of Trade and Industry. Mr Lewis is now planning to support the villagers in their campaign to keep open the post office. He said: "Decisions on individual post offices are a matter for the Post Office, not for me or the government. However I feel very strongly about the post office. It is crucial to the community in Ainsworth and I will be doing everything possible to work with the community association and others to make the case for its retention. It plays a central part in the life of the village and therefore we must do everything we can to prevent it from closure."

Ainsworth postmaster Frank Foster confirmed that the Post Office are planning to close 2,500 branches, but declined to comment further. A Post Office Ltd spokesman said: "The government has now come to a decision about the future shape and size of the UK's Post Office network. Post Office Ltd's task now is to look carefully at the strict criteria set by the government and plan how best to implement them across the country. The area plan which covers Bury will go to public consultation in May 2008, and the final decisions on which post offices will close will only be taken after we've received and considered all feedback."