MORE than 250 residents were given a glimmer of hope tonight as they pleaded with Post Office chiefs not to close their Newport office at a passionate public meeting.

Locals crammed into Hatherleigh Community Centre to air their views and support the campaign launched to keep the Christchurch Road post office open.

The campaigners were boosted after Post Office network development manager for Wales Steve Geraty admitted they will have to look at the office's future more closely after information provided by a closure survey was inaccurate.

He said he had never attended a meeting like it with such a massive turnout.

Before the meeting, Mr Geraty and Royal Mail Group senior Welsh affairs manager Heulyn Gwyn Davies walked to the nearest alternative office at Cross Hands, Chepstow Road.

Mr Geraty admitted the walk wasn't as easy as officials had been led to believe, adding the terrain from Christchurch to Cross Hands was "steep and difficult to negotiate".

"This is a post office we are considering for closure but we are interested in things like public transport links and I think we need to look at this office closer," he added.

Buses run through the area every two hours, and residents claim making a trip to an alternative post office would be a round trip of up to five hours for those unable to walk.

Newport East MP Jessica Morden said: "The footfall at Christchurch Road is between 750 and 999 a week. We need to impress on the post office how important this is to the community."

Businessmen and charities told how they use the facility because of its easy access and parking, while postmaster Sean Kennedy presented a petition with 1,800 signatures on it.

He said: "This post office has become a passion for us, we'll fight every inch of the way for it."

The Christchurch Road office is one of more than 20 earmarked for closure in Gwent under the Post Office proposals.

A six week consultation period is due to end on February 26.

The Post Office says the cuts are necessary as the organisation is losing between £3 million and £4 million annually.

Out of 31 offices earmarked for closure in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, only two were given a reprieve last month.