SOUTH Swindon MP Julia Drown has come up with a plan she hopes could save many of Swindon's post offices from closure.

Ms Drown reckons that rather than closing struggling sub-post offices, they could instead be pared down to a limited service available for use by local residents only.

These "micro branches" would not provide the traditional full range of post office services, but would retain those considered most vital to the community.

These include the weighing of parcels and payment of pensions and benefits.

For other services, customers would have to travel to larger urban post offices.

"Micro branches could be particularly useful in villages for the elderly claiming pensions and other benefits," said Ms Drown.

"It may not be ideal, but if it is a case of having a reduced range of services or no post office at all, I think we should try to keep what we can," she said.

Last Thursday, Ms Drown took her proposal to Trade and Industry Minister Stephen Timms, the minister in charge of post offices, who has promised to consider it.

She said: "I wanted his assurance that he would not ignore the fact local post offices are not just a business they are a public service.

"That means they can be of huge importance to a community."

Ms Drown had called for talks ahead of this summer's review of Swindon's post office network, which threatens smaller branches.

The so-called Urban Network Reinvention Programme has already seen controversial shutdowns in other parts of the country as post office chiefs try to halt a financial crisis.

In March, the Evening Advertiser reported that Swindon could lose a third of its sub-post offices under a national closure programme sweeping the country.

The Post Office is closing about 3,000 of the UK's 9,000 urban sub-post offices in an attempt to stem huge financial losses.

If the pattern is repeated across Swindon, nine of the town's 28 sub-post offices could be axed.

Customers will find out which have been earmarked for closure at the end of June.

Richard Hall of Post Office Ltd said the company would be willing to consider Ms Drown's proposals.

"The issue that we would have to address is that there are too few customers at too many post offices," he said.

Mr Hall questioned whether there would be enough business to make a reduced service worthwhile.

Even a micro branch of the kind proposed by Ms Drown might threaten the long-term viability of neighbouring branches, he added.