Rural communities are concerned about the future of postal services after reports the Royal Mail is to cut at least 30,000 jobs.
In a report to postal regulator Postcomm, Royal Mail, which employs 165,000 people, has revealed a plan to cut employee numbers to "improve productivity".
The news came as a blow to a number of communities in Northumberland where the postal service is vital and the post office is often the hub of the village. Allendale is just starting to recover from the closure of the post office and suspension of its collection service after the postmaster walked out last February because of a confrontation with local youths.
New owners have taken over and are planning to expand the business. However, local Tynedale councillor Margaret Stonehouse said she was seriously concerned about the impact job losses would have.
"We have already seen the effect not having a post office or adequate postal service can have on a community," she said. "There are a number of businesses in Allendale which rely on a postal service and during the two months the postbox was closed they were having to travel 10 miles just to post a letter.
"We have also had situations where a lack of local postmen has led to late delivery or things being sent to the wrong person. If there are more job cuts, these problems can only get worse."
Ivan Stoppard has been postmaster at Heddon-on-the-Wall for five years and said job losses would have a huge effect on post offices and the communities they serve. He said: "It would be a big loss, especially for people in this area. The post office and postal workers do a lot for people in rural communities and any reduction will have a huge knock-on effect."
A Royal Mail spokesman said the organisation was not making any predictions about employment. "What we have said is that the mail market is opening to full competition in five months' time and we need to invest £2bn into the business in order to compete effectively."
A Communication Workers' Union spokesman said constant speculation about job cuts was extremely unsettling for workers who had "done so much to turn the company around".
