Campaigners battling to keep Ditherington post office open have taken their fight to Parliament.

Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski presented a petition to the Commons on Monday on behalf of thousands of residents against the proposed closure.

It is one of 28 branches facing the axe in Shropshire – and one of five in his constituency – under Post Office plans to axe 2,500 across the country.

Petitioners argue it will have “a detrimental effect on the lives of local residents”.

“The local post office is a vital and integral element of the local community, supporting social interaction between residents,” they said.

“They should not simply be assessed on an economic basis without taking into account the social economic value they offer to the local community.

“The proposed partial replacement of three of the post offices earmarked for closure by a mobile vehicle with restricted hours, and in some cases parked on the side of roads or in lay-bys, is a substandard solution not benefiting the world we live in today.”

Mr Kawczynski later urged ministers to reverse the decision.

The network has fallen from over 18,000 branches in 1999 to 14,300, and is losing more than £200 million a year despite Government subsidies of £150 million.

There are plans to axe a further 2,500 by the end of this year, to be replaced by 500 outreach services – or part-time outlets – mostly located in remote areas.

Thousands of people have protested about the plans, not least across Shropshire, and about the impact on the most vulnerable in communities and rural areas.

But the Government has admitted the present system is unsustainable with four million fewer people using the facility and losses rising to £4 million a week.

By Sunita Patel