IRATE campaigners who failed to save Cardwell Bay post office claim a public consultation exercise was a sham.

They say post office bosses: • Ignored a petition.

• Failed to reply to a community council submission.

• Used a visit to the area 'as a platform to preach the case for closure'.

• Put out misleading information about the accessibility of alternative post offices in a leaflet advising of the closure.

Now Cardwell Bay community council - which holds its next meeting on 11 June, just a week before the post office finally closes - wants some answers.

'The question is why did we lose our entitlement to a post office in Cardwell Bay and do we need to have it back,' said community council chairman Tom Livingstone.

A spokesperson for Post Office Limited said a letter had gone out to the community council notifying them of the decision, but had been sent to a previous chairman"s address.

She added that a new letter would be sent out.

'We remain confident the other local post offices at Kempock Street and Midton will be able to cope with the extra business,' she said.

'Ninety-five per cent of customers will still be within the target distance of a mile from a post office.' The closure, sparked by the retirement of the present postmaster, is part of a Network Reinvention Programme to close 3,000 post offices throughout the UK by 2005.

More than 600 people signed a petition objecting to the closure and some 80 residents packed a public protest meeting organised by Cardwell Bay community councils.