GUILDHALL bosses have slammed a decision to move Worcester's main post office into the WH Smith store on the High Street.

City council leader Coun Simon Geraghty labelled the move "astonishing" and said it would mount a robust campaign against it.

As the Worcester News reported on Saturday, the Foregate Street office will close and relocate inside WH Smith within 18 months.

The Post Office, which is losing £70 million a year, is moving 70 branches nationwide into larger stores to save money.

Coun Geraghty said: "I would like to join in with the concerns raised. Somewhere like Worcester needs a dedicated post office to serve it.

"To my knowledge, the council was not consulted on this move, although I did get a letter from Postwatch asking me who the cabinet member was for this area.

"We need to put up a robust defence of why Worcester needs its own dedicated post office. My concern is there is no indication of how it would be managed, or how it would continue to operate services.

"The way they have gone about this, by saying a decision has already been made, seems quite astonishing."

The city council will take part in a public consultation on the move some time between now and July.

Post Office bosses have already confirmed the Worcester bramch will relocate into WH Smith, but is holding the consultation to gauge public opinion.

The entire city council approved a motion at the Guildhall to show disapproval of the relocation.

Coun Dave Clark said: "I find it hard to see how this can do anything but harm to the service offered by the post office. We need to show our utter disapproval about this."

Exactly where the Post Office will be located in WH Smiths, how many customers would be affected or how many jobs will go is being kept under wraps.

The Post Office and WH Smith say they will reveal further details when the public consultation ends in the summer.

A spokeswoman for the Post Office said: "The decision to relocate is a commercial one. There will be a consultation, and the city council and customers will have the opportunity to comment on what they would like to see in the new store."