Businesses and councillors are demanding action to stem the queues at the only post office in Oxford city centre, writes Roseena Parveen.

At busy times, customers are forced to queue in the street outside St Aldate's post office.

Pressure at the branch has grown since the post office in Littlewoods in Cornmarket Street, closed last year.

In ten years, the city centre has lost post offices in Park End Street, George Street, Broad Street, St Michael's Street and High Street.

Now members of Oxford's City Centre Management Working Party want replacement branches and a better city centre service.

City councillor Jackie Gray, vice-chairman of the working party, said: "There are queues all the time at St Aldate's - they were right into the streets the last time I went. St Aldate's is the only city post office that's open on Saturday afternoons.

"It is inadequate provision for Oxford. It is absolutely hopeless. People are noticing and are very upset. We want to know if they are even considering replacing the offices that were closed.

"There is a lot of talk about rural post offices closing, but this city is facing problems, too."

Working party chairman Graham Cohen is to voice concerns to MPs Andrew Smith and Evan Harris and to the Post Office chairman.

Post Office spokesman Mike Dalton said the number of branches in the city centre was "less than ideal", but replacing the closed offices depended on people coming forward to run them.

Staffing problems were to blame for growing queues at St Aldate's.

Mr Dalton said: "We recognise there is a queuing problem. We are having enormous problems getting staff needed to cover the office. An enormous amount of work is being done to try to recruit people."

He added: "Offices shut usually because the postmaster resigns if that happens it is usually because the business is no longer a viable concern.

"If someone simply does not want to continue running it there's little we can do. It's very much up to people to come forward to run it."

The Post Office had no plans to replace the lost city centre offices.