NEWS that the Royal Mail has doubled its profits over the last six months while over 1,5000 post offices are to be shut down, will incense your readers. Royal Mail’s round of closures was based on economic viability, highlighting the hypocrisy of this £177m profit.

The Countryside Alliance has campaigned hard for the thousands of threatened branches. A lack of economic viability should never have been the main reason for closures; post offices form the hearts of their communities and many isolated and elderly people will be stranded without them. Royal Mail should perhaps consider the post offices are about people, not profits.

SIMON HART Chief Executive Countryside Alliance London