A PETITION highlighting the lack of disabled access for post office users in Salisbury has gathered nearly 3,000 signatures both online and in person.

The petition, signed 2,863 times in total, was presented last week to Salisbury MP John Glen, who supports the campaign for an all-access Post Office to be reopened in Salisbury city centre, after the closure of the main branch in Winchester Street nearly five months ago.

Lorna Wilson, who can’t walk long distances and uses her wheelchair for the majority of her travel, gathered the signatures, and is unable to access the post office facilities at High Street or Waitrose on Churchill Way West, relying on a city centre branch.

A Post Office spokesperson said: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the unplanned closure of Salisbury Post Office earlier this year. We are working hard to re-open a replacement.

“Accessibility will be a very important factor when deciding which will be the proposed new location. We will then begin public consultation.”

“High Street Post Office is in a 700-year-old building and it is not possible to adapt the building to improve access for people with disabilities. However, a door bell has been installed by the entrance and staff will serve customers with mobility issues at the front of the building.

Lorna added: "Whilst the staff at the High Street branch do their best to help, this does not compensate for the lack of space and accessiblity.

"All of this has led to queues building up outside and people being unable to enter the shop or carry out transactions."

After the meeting at his office last Friday, Mr Glen said: “I have been in constant contact with the Post Office, who assure me that they are committed to providing Salisbury with a second post office as soon as they can recruit a new postmaster or mistress.The High Street branch have stepped up magnificently and deserve nothing but praise for their efforts.

I am grateful to Lorna for shining a light on the urgency of the problem. The support for her petition demonstrates the scale of the demand and I very much hope that it will assist the post office with their recruitment process and assure anyone thinking of stepping up that they will be warmly welcomed.”