Ref. 29546-05Shaw residents are threatening to boycott their local One Stop shop if owner Tesco insists on closing the post office in the face of overwhelming opposition.

At an up-beat public meeting yesterday afternoon South Swindon MP Julia Drown urged campaigners to continue their fight against the supermarket giant.

"There's a real chance we can prevent this closure, particularly because we have been really active," she told an audience of 50, at George Tweed Gardens, a sheltered home in nearby Pilgrim Close.

"I have made it clear to Tesco that my constituents really value this post office and want it to stay.

"I've started to push them to think about it and I'm not as depressed as I first was there's a chance they will listen. We just need to make sure our voices are loud and clear."

Last month residents were angered to discover Tesco planned to close the post office in the shop in the Village Centre, in Ramleaze Drive, in July.

The company is planning to re-open the shop as a Tesco Express outlet at the end of August but says after the revamp there will be no room for the post office.

Residents have collected more than 2,000 signatures against the closure.

Last month more than 40 people gathered outside the shop brandishing placards and waving petitions.

Public feeling remains high and yesterday residents raised their voices in support of a boycott of the shop if Tesco pushes ahead with the closure.

"If Tesco took the post office away I don't think I would be happy about using Tesco," said 51-year-old Anne Fry, of Angler Road.

She said if people had to travel to West Swindon to use the post office the Shaw shop would lose business anyway.

Mrs Drown declined to offer explicit support for such an action, but said: "I'm very keen to tell Tesco that there are serious threats of them being boycotted if they don't listen to the needs of the community."

David Hide, the chairman of Postwatch south and west, the public watchdog for postal services, also addressed the packed meeting.

He said he had no powers to prevent the closure but said: "We will do our very best to put forward the facts to try to persuade Tesco to reconsider."

Representatives from Tesco and the Post Office were invited to the meeting but did not attend.

A spokesman for Tesco said: "If people at the moment think they will boycott then that's a decision for them.

"Tesco Express will bring a great deal of benefit to the local community.

"Hopefully, in the long-term, they will recognise the benefit."

Campaigners are asking anyone against the closure of Shaw post office to attend an area panel meeting with Swindon councillors in the Civic Offices at 7pm on March 30, when the issue will be discussed.