A Post Office customer has spoken of her concerns she will not be able to access money due to the closure of her nearest branch in Sudbury.

Jennifer Kavanaugh, who lives in nearby Whitestreet Green, said she was worried about withdrawing cash from ATMs because of the security risk and preferred to use the Post Office counter in the WH Smith store in Market Hill.

However, the book store is closing down on June 9, leaving the postal service without a home and forcing customers to travel elsewhere.

She said: “I would no longer have access to getting cash. I don’t want to use machines in the street because it is a terrible security risk. There is a Post Office in Hadleigh but I don’t drive because of my eyesight. It is just not reasonable. I just find it quite unbelievable."

Patrick Crew, director of taxi firm Sudbury Cars, launched a petition on the change.org website calling for the Sudbury branch to be saved, which has so far collected 1,173 signatures.

In April, Mr Crew said he regularly used the Business Click and Go service so he could ship globally for an online business he created during the pandemic.

He said: “It is essential for those paying bills, receiving benefits including pensions, paying car tax, obtaining and renewing both passports and driving licences, foreign currency, money orders, again the latter two being far more accessible than banks.

“The post office is an essential community asset whose loss would do irreparable damage not just to local businesses in terms of increasing costs due to going further afield for the services needed but to the community as a whole.”

A Post Office spokesperson said: “The operator for Sudbury Post Office has resigned and the WH Smith store is due to close in June.

“We know how important a Post Office is to a community. We advertised the vacancy to operate Post Office services in the town centre and we have an application progressing. We hope to share more details with the local community in the coming weeks.”

To sign Mr Crew’s petition, visit https://www.change.org/p/save-sudbury-s-post-office