Protests are mounting at the St Mary's Field branch in Church Walk after it was listed for closure in a national Network Change programme.

The Post Office has secured Government backing to close 2,500 outlets nationwide, saying rationalisation is needed if the service is to survive.

The Morpeth facility was placed on the closure list after bosses said it was unviable and other branches were within easy distance.

But staff and customers have hit out at the decision and now local councillors Andrew and Joan Tebbutt have set up a petition to save the service.

County, Borough, Town and Ward member Andrew Tebbutt said: "This decision is just utterly stupid. I was contacted by several people even in the first 24 hours of it being announced.

"We are going to organise a petition and we think that the more names we can get the more it might help. We are also going to do some work on the viability of the post office because we know it is a thriving branch."

Coun Tebbutt said the service is particularly important to older people in the area, with sheltered housing nearby.

And he said it is vital to maintain the branch while the future of the Morpeth central post office is still uncertain.

"This is one of the most accessible post offices in Morpeth and we still have the threat to the central post office, which is due to close in October. We still haven't found any alternative venue for that," he said.

"I find it difficult to understand why the Post Office doesn't think a town the size of Morpeth can sustain three post offices. Certainly all three are very busy.

"In the town centre branch there is a long queue most days whenever you go in. I don't often use the Stobhill post office, but when I have been, there has been a queue there and there is always a queue at Church Walk.

"I have never been in a sub-post office and just been served straight away. There is always somebody there and most times there is a queue."

The bulk of the Church Walk customers are pensioners, with 83 flats at the nearby St Christopher's House and 33 flats and seven bungalows at the Renwick House sheltered housing scheme.

Renwick House Warden Linda Crabtree said residents were upset at the news of the post office closure and were adding their support to the petition.

"There are a lot of people talking about it because the nearest post office for them will be at Stobhill," she said.

"There are a lot of older people who live in this area and they are very concerned about it. They are filling out forms and writing letters. They are really upset

"They have these three-wheeled trolleys and at the moment they can walk to the post office, but it would be very difficult for them to get to Stobhill. The majority of our residents are in their 80s.

"You see them walking along to the post office together to get money out and buy their groceries so this will affect them.