The West Street sub-post office is one of those on a map accidentally published on the Post Office website showing branches considered for closure.

It was intended to show only those in the East Midlands, where consultation on shutdowns has begun. But the map, which has since been removed from the internet, showed the West Street branch and others in the county marked with a red cross.

Postmistress Sikhvinder Sandhar has run the business with her husband Hardev since 1999 and the couple say they have heard nothing from the Post Office about its plans.

But Mr Sandhar said it was true the sub-post office was facing difficulties, blaming the withdrawal of services such as payment for the television licence and some utility bills for a drop in income.

He said: "The number of services is falling all the time and the number of customers is also dropping.

"Our revenue is getting smaller and smaller and the cost of living is going up and up. We are struggling as it is. If we stick around here too long, we will go bankrupt."

The couple feel the only option left to them may be to retire, but customers were adamant they wanted the branch to stay.

Post office branches in Cape Road, Smith Street and Emscote Road were closed in a previous round of closures in early 2004.

The Brook Street branch is the town centre's only remaining branch, and is due to move into Shire Hall in 2008.

Warwick district councillor Michael Kinson (Con, Warwick West) believes any further closures would be a mistake and condemned the manner in which people had learned of the possibility.

He said: "If the map came out by mistake we weren't supposed to know about it. The Post Office should come clean and tell us what the plan is so we can muster some opposition.

"I am against any post office closing. The trouble with the process is that there is a limited time to object. They should give people maximum notice."

Post Office spokesman Tom Prendergast told the Courier no decision would be made until a public consultation had been carried out.

He said: "Any information shown briefly in error on our website relating to branches outside the area to which current consultation relates is simply provisional, untested, planning information, which isn't usually published because it will change in the course of our work with local stakeholders. We apologise for any confusion caused."
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