SIR - Now that more post offices across the country have already been, or are being closed it is important that the public know the real reasons why hundreds of thousands of people will have to travel longer distances to find a post office.

The European Parliament in Brussels passed a series of laws, (‘directives’) which opened our postal services to so-called competition by taking away Royal Mail’s monopoly. This did not provide true competition at all because while the Royal Mail has a legal obligation to provide a ‘universal’ service throughout the British Isles to all addresses, at the same price, companies which now operate do not provide ‘universal’ services.

Companies such as TNT, (Dutch) and Deutsche Post, (German) only operate in the profitable areas.

Royal Mail has, for nearly 150 years, operated at a profit, without any burden on the taxpayer because its monopoly enabled it to set off the many loss-making rural areas against the profits made in the cities.

The public will be outraged to learn the MEPs of all three of our main political parties voted in the Brussels Parliament for this disastrous change.

To reduce the losses, the Government, at the taxpayers’ expense, gave a subsidy to Royal Mail.

Now, the European Union has passed another directive forbidding any subsidy after 2009 so that in future years Royal Mail will have to make further cutbacks and price increases.

For nearly 150 years Britain has enjoyed the benefits of a postal service which was the envy of the world but this is being ruined by interference in our internal affairs by the European Union.

C N BURKETT, Hereford.