PROSPECTIVE Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Camborne-Falmouth, Julia Goldsworthy, has delivered a petition to 10 Downing Street from hundreds of local pensioners protesting about the loss of post office branches and services.

Local OAPs joined thousands nationwide in a Lib-Dem campaign against Government proposals to scrap pension books, which a study has revealed will result in the loss of 4,500 post office customers in Falmouth and Camborne and possibly the closure of further branches.

The plans follow the introduction of a direct debit option for benefit and pension withdrawals earlier this year that has already threatened the viability of the post office network and led to numerous branch closures.

The Department of Work and Pensions is currently contacting millions of pensioners giving them three options to receive their pensions through direct debit, leading up to a phasing out the pension book by 2005.

A recent study revealed that only half are expected to chose a post office card account over banks and building societies, leading to the loss of millions of pounds of revenue for post offices nationally. There is no option to keep the pension book.

Ms Goldsworthy said: "The plans will rob the Post Office network of vital revenue and will accelerate the rate of closures.

Many of the pensioners who want to stick with the post offices could be met with a permanent 'closed' sign.

"The Governments plans are driven by cost-cutting and not what is best for pensioners.

"Many, particularly old pensioners, are comfortable with what they know. It is not too late for the Government to think again and allow pensioners to hang on to their pension books," she said.

Ms Goldsworthy claims that paying benefits and pensions by direct debit, which costs 30 times less then a Post Office card account, will adversely affect rural customers who do not have good access to banks.

One post office in Camborne and two in Falmouth have already agreed to close.