PUBLIC consultation into the closure of two Sittingbourne post offices has been condemned as appalling by MP Derek Wyatt.

Mr Wyatt was vociferous in his opposition to government plans to streamline the Post Office by closing small branches in towns and cities.

But despite his efforts and those of local people, the Chaucer Road office will close on Tuesday, December 9, and the branch at Gadby Road will shut its doors the following day, December 10.

Mr Wyatt said: "I find the whole businesses of the way the consultation has been conducted to be completely untransparent.

"I have had this out with them because they have no idea how to run a public inquiry.

"We have no idea if there will be more closures next year, there is no strategy and it is an appalling way to run a business."

The Post Office said the decisions followed a month-long period of consultations during which the views of local people, groups and elected representatives, including Mr Wyatt, were sought.

Post Office head of area Drew McBride said: "We fully appreciate the concerns of those who let us have their views and have taken account of them in making the final decisions.

"However, the issue is not about the future of an individual branch, but the overall viability of our urban network."

Mr McBride added: "The outgoing sub-postmasters will receive compensation on the closure of their branch from a £270 million fund approved overwhelmingly by MPs.

"The remaining post office branches are conveniently accessible to customers and are within a mile of Chaucer Road and Gadby Road branches."

When the closures were proposed in September, Grove ward councillor David Manning (Lib Dem) vowed to try to save the Gadby Road branch.

He said: "The council is opposed to the closure and there is a campaign to save it.

"It is well used by people in the area. I don't think it is a done deal until it closes."

Chaucer Road postmaster Melvyn Emmett said he was preparing himself for early retirement when the closures were mooted.

He said then: "We saw people going to the bank for their pensions and allowances and our trade was shrinking."

He said he had no choice but to accept the compensation package offered to him by the Post Office.