THE POST Office chief in charge of closing seven Blaenau Gwent branches faced angry protesters yesterday.

Dave Barrett, head of area for the Post Office, addressed a130-strong crowd who had gathered outside the Assembly building in Cardiff Bay.

Three coachloads had travelled to Cardiff to confront the Post Office and the government over the plans.

Cerebral Palsy sufferer Dawn Wilcox was among the demonstrators. Ms Wilcox, 43, said: "At the moment it takes me 10 minutes to walk with crutches to the Willowtown post office. When it closes, it will be impossible."

Retired nurse Barbara Chislett, 71, would also find life much harder if Willowtown closed. Mrs Chislett said: "I use the post office for everything. If it closed there is no bus service and having to use four bronchial inhalers a day I don't know what I would do."

The Post Office says the proposed closures in Blaenau Gwent are a necessary part of nationwide restructuring designed to ensure the long-term survival of the business. They are proposing the closure of nine other offices in Gwent next year at the same time as those in Blaenau Gwent.

Mr Barrett told the crowd: "Proposals to change the network in Blaenau Gwent are not made without considerable research and discussion.

"Even after any changes are made, well over 95% of customers will still live within a mile of a Post Office branch."

MP Llew Smith and Assembly Member Peter Law led a delegation to meet Wales secretary Peter Hain and his deputy, Islywn MP Don Touhig.

Mr Law said: "With the highest levels of poverty, unemployment and disability and the lowest level of car ownership in Wales, Blaenau Gwent desperately needs these vital community links. I supported a one pence rise on stamps to get the Post Office on a level playing field, not for a wholesale slaughter of this public service."

Peter Hain said: "Peter Law, Llew Smith and the councillors have made a very strong case. I live in a Valleys village myself and I know the importance of local post offices to people in the community. I will be calling on the Post Office to extend the consultation period and look again at this issue."