A PETITION is to be launched to have the post office in Gourock reopened.

Local councillor Ronnie Ahlfeld said the town must rally round to apply pressure for the service to be reinstated in the town as soon as possible.

The call comes as Post Office bosses apologise to customers for the sudden closure of the Kempock Street branch last week.

It closed without warning on Wednesday, leaving the town without a service and sparking fury among customers whose parcels are trapped inside.

Post Office chiefs said today the closure was due to ‘unforseen circumstances’ and insisted it will be a temporary closure.

Councillor Ahlfeld said he will now launch a petition to ensure the post office is re-opened as quickly as possible.

He said: “We need to get everyone involved in this. It’s fundamental to the town here — it devalues our social fabric if we don’t have a post office.

“I’m going to do everything I can to engage with local people and make sure this happens. For Gourock to be left without a branch when it once had four is not good enough.” A post office spokeswoman said: “We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by the temporary closure of the Gourock Post Office branch.

“We would like to reassure customers that we are working hard to restore the service to the community as soon as possible and are committed to maintaining services in the area.” In the meantime customers are being told to use the nearest branch in Nairn Road in Larkfield.

This has also enraged Councillor Ahlfeld who branded the temporary alternative as ‘completely ridiculous.’ He said: “That is the most ridiculous suggestion I have heard in a long time.

“A lot of people who use that post office are elderly, even younger people would find it difficult to get up to Nairn Road to post a letter, get something weighed or send or collect a parcel.

“It’s absolutely nonsensical — we need a good operating post office in Gourock. If anything we could be doing with two in the town, one in the town centre and one up the hill.

“It’s disgraceful. We had a great post office at the Pierhead then it was moved to Kempock Street, which wasn’t as good, and now we’ve ended up with this carry on.

“We have to keep fighting.”