A petition has been set up to try and get a new home for a town centre Post Office.

Councillors stood outside Paydens Chemist in Rochester High Street — the current location of the town's only Post Office — on Friday to grab signatures for their petition.

It calls on Medway Council to help facilitate a move to a different location.

Medway Labour Group councillors say they'd like to see the Post Office moved to either the tourist Information centre or the library and as the council own these buildings, it should do something to help.

The group's deputy leader, Cllr Teresa Murray, said it would be "dreadful" if the "critical facility" closed in November without an alternative in place.

The Rochester East cllr said: "We had people queuing to sign the petition on Friday because that's how important it is, and in 90 minutes we got 130 signatures.

"We understand that Paydens wants to expand and have a refurbishment, that's probably long overdue and there's a population expansion in Rochester with Rochester Riverside and so on, so that's a good thing.

"But what we don't want is to find when the Post Office closes there in November there isn't an alternative set up.

"This is a very difficult time for businesses to take on a Post Office; although they get rental for having one, obviously, lots of businesses in Rochester are quite small anyway and haven't necessarily got the space.

"They're all struggling because of the rising cost of fuel and the general downturn in people shopping because they can't afford things.

"We could do better than Paydens have been able to do in terms of access and convenience. There's plenty of room in the tourist information centre and plenty of room in the library.

The group is asking the council to set up a continuity plan and will present their petition at the next full council meeting this Thursday (January 19). The petition can be found here.

The nearest other branches are at the Spar supermarket in Maidstone Road, Rochester, near the junction of Priestfields, and in North Street, Strood.

'What we don't want is to find when the Post Office closes there in November there isn't an alternative set up.'

But ward councillor Stuart Tranter (Con) said plans are already in motion to replace the facility.

"We are currently waiting to hear what the Post Office HQ require, and then anyone who meets those requirements may apply for a franchise, including the council," he said.

"Our Information Centre or Community Hub may or may not be the best solutions, or indeed something better may come along."

Former minister for postal affairs Kelly Tolhurst, MP for Rochester and Strood, is also actively involved, he says.

Cllr Tranter added: "Please be assured no stone will be left unturned, and we hope and expect the best possible solution will be found."