Mr Robertson said there had been a "managed decline of post offices" by the Government over the years, and this was the result.

The Forres meeting was the first of four arranged in towns across Moray where a local post office looked set to close, all of which have attracted capacity gatherings.

The meeting was held in the coffee bar of the community centre, which was the only room available, but there were so many people in attendance that some individuals were standing in the hall beyond, with Mr Robertson, who chaired the event, using a microphone to make himself heard.

"The fact that it is so jam-packed tonight shows the strength of feeling in Forres for East End Post Office," he said. "The decision has not been made yet, but the fact that we face this challenge in the first place is because the UK Labour Government has a policy of closing post offices."

Speaking on behalf of Post Office Limited were Sally Buchanan, network development manager, who said that it was she who decided which post offices would be axed, and external relations manager Connie Hewitt.

"These are difficult times, and the Post Office is facing a number of challenges," said Mrs Hewitt, "not least the drop in customers."

She said that the Post Office was also losing out on a substantial chunk of business, such as the loss of the BBC TV licence service.

She said that once upon a time, the only place you could pay your phone bill was at the post office, but now you could pay it anywhere, and most customers also used card accounts and chose to tax their cars online, which had resulted in a reduction in the number of people going into post offices.

Mrs Buchanan said that the Post Office was seeking to attract new customers by diversifying and offering new services such as insurances, which was proving successful.

"We know that closures will inconvenience customers," she said. "But we have to do something. This is still a proposal, and we are in the middle of a six-week consultation, which gives you time to get your views across."

As well as local business people and customers turning out in support of East End, all four Forres councillors attended the meeting to hear what the Post Office representatives had to say, as well as Moray Council convener, Councillor George McIntyre.

Speaking to the 'Gazette" afterwards, Mr McIntyre said he felt that the meeting had gone well, and many good points had been raised.

Forres Community Council member Irene Ogilvie told Mrs Buchanan that she felt no-one wanted the closure, and that Post Office Limited needed to listen to what individuals had to say.

"I'm finding it difficult to see why this decision is being made," she said. "As far as I can see, this is a well-used post office and figures mean nothing. You just don't seem to understand what this post office means to the people of Forres."

Members of the Forres Community Council, including chairman John Bremner, vice-chairman Bob Hellyer and secretary Colin Lipscomb also attended the meeting.

Mr Lipscomb asked what would happen if the other post office in Forres, which also trades as a shop, were to close, leaving the town with no post office service.

Mrs Buchanan replied that the post office must adhere to an access code and provide offices within certain distances. She said that both the East End and the West End post office, in the Key Store, were trading as self-employed and would have to give three months' notice, which would give the Post Office time to make alternative provision.

No-one voiced support for the proposed closure, and many said they would not use any other post office if they could help it.

"If Post Office Limited close down the East End post office," said retired Forres police inspector John Barclay, "they will lose all these customers."

There was plenty of praise for sub-postmistress Jackie Murray and her staff, with members of the public claiming it was their post office by choice, because staff were friendly and deserved their custom.

Mr Campbell McKay, Victoria Road, said that the East End Post Office was "in the middle of an area where there were sheltered housing facilities, and provides a facility for vulnerable people, with good car parking and good access", while the other post office had "abysmal parking facilities".

Mr Gordon Macdonald said that having to access the post office at the west end of Forres was difficult. He said that he would probably park in the health centre car park and would then have to climb the steps upto the High Street, which he said was difficult for many people with mobility problems.

Chairperson of the Forres Neighbourhood Forum, Carin Schwartz, said that there had been mention of the East End Post office being earmarked for closure because it was not profitable. She said she did not know of any public service such as police or hospitals that was.

"You shouldn't get the idea that we want to close one post office and keep another open," she said. "We want to keep both our post offices. There are things that we can do to facilitate that."

Mr Robertson said the response from local communities to the proposed closure of local post offices demonstrated deep concerns over the Post Office's closure plans.

"I am very pleased by the strong public response to the proposals, which gives a clear message to the Government and Royal Mail that the closures are not wanted and the policy is wrong," he said. "Several hundred people have attended meetings in the last few days, taking the opportunity to state their concerns and show their support for these vital local services.

"The SNP has opposed this closure plan from the start," he said. "I believe it is simply wrong to consider the future of the Post Office network on the basis of commercial viability. It is much more than that. It is a community hub, a gathering place for local residents and a point of contact for some of the most vulnerable people in society. The value of our community post offices cannot be calculated in simple monetary terms, and the plans are totally irresponsible."

He said the Ggovernment was responsible for the drop-off in the use of post offices, as they have undermined them by withdrawing service after service.

"Labour has allowed post offices to wither on the vine, and is now using that as an excuse to kill them off completely," he said. "The message from the public is absolutely clear, and that is 'Leave our post offices alone'."

Mrs Buchanan said that she would be making her decision after the six-week period, and if after reading all the responses, she felt that she had made the wrong decision, there was a chance that East End could be saved.

"You need to put your views in writing," she told the assembled crowd. "There is no use gathering hundreds of names on petitions telling me you love your post office. Tell me why we should keep it."

Post Office consultation forms are available from the East End post office or from the SNP's Parliamentary office in Wards Road, Elgin.

Moray Council have also set up a working party to co-ordinate the consultation period, which lasts six weeks from when the announcements were made. They are co-ordinating the responses to be fed back to Post Office Limited, and meantime are urging individuals and communities, including local community councils, to make their responses known.

t.mclaren@forres-gazette.co.uk

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