A CAMPAIGN is being launched to stop Accrington Post Office being taken over by a private company.

The Post Office has announced plans to franchise the Abbey Street branch to a firm called UBF Ltd.

Fifteen members of staff have been told that if it goes ahead their options will be to work elsewhere within Post Office Ltd or the Royal Mail Group, take voluntary redundancy or re-apply for their own jobs at the branch with UBF Ltd.

The proposals for Accrington Post Office are part of the attempts by Royal Mail nationally to make currently loss-making Crown Offices a town or city's main high street branch sustainable.

Some post offices have been closed as a result and many others have become franchises.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which has fought the proposals from the start and has successfully stopped the takeovers in some places, believes franchises lead to a "vastly inferior" service to customers and the loss of experienced, skilled and knowledgeable staff.

Andy Tatchell, secretary of the North Lancashire and Cumbria branch of the CWU, said: "The Crown Office workers are the Rolls-Royce of Post Office staff.

"Staff at Accrington are extremely distressed about this announcement.

"They will have their meeting with the people in the business to ask what their preferences are, but the preference they have expressed to me is to stay there and keep the Crown office open."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said: "I am really concerned about the people who work for the Post Office in Accrington.

"The priority must be to see if we can protect the people who work there and protect the services.

"I will be meeting with union representatives and staff in the next few days to discuss practical things I can do to help them through this."

The Post Office said the move would not affect the products and services on offer at the branch.

Mr Pope added: "There is also a concern that services might be lost."

UBF declined to comment.