MORE than 100 people have signed a petition asking for a post office or postbox to be reinstated in a Bradford suburb.

Residents in Thackley have received the backing of their ward councillors, and one has now contacted the Post Office for a response to the proposals.

But any bid may be doomed to failure, as a spokesman for the Post Office said its current programme of provision was about “one-for-one” replacements, not increasing its network.

Alex Finch, who organised the petition, said: “There are a lot of elderly people in this area, and it is a long way up to Idle, which is really the only post office they can go to.

“I was told there used to be a post office here many years ago, and thought the current situation was very unfair on old people and those who don’t drive.

“A new post office would be perfect, and a real benefit to the community. Local businesses are also very supportive of the idea.

“Not to have a post office or postbox in the area seems like total insanity to me.”

It is understood that the former Thackley Post Office shut in late 2004, and was one of ten such closures across Bradford.

Mr Finch said he had approached two businesses – Drake’s Newsagents and Nisa Local, both in Leeds Road – which had indicated they may be prepared to host the post office services.

The petition has now been presented to Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley), who said: “There was a post office in Thackley which closed a number of years ago, and local people find it difficult to get to the post office in Idle.

“I would support the opening of a post office as so many services can be delivered from them, and an extra postbox is handy, particularly for older and more vulnerable people.

“I have emailed the Post Office raising this issue with them and await their response.”

But a Post Office spokesman told the Telegraph & Argus yesterday: “Unfortunately, there is no existing post office vacancy nearby and currently our programme is about one-for-one replacements, not increasing the network.

“For an entirely new branch in an area with no current post office provision, our analysts assess whether there is sufficient new demand and material changes locally to warrant the introduction of a new post office service point, and in this instance we feel there is sufficient provision of services in the area.”

The spokesman added that any request for the addition of a postbox rather than a new post office would be a matter for the Royal Mail.