A CAMPAIGN to bring a Post Office back to Cowley Road now has the support of 600 people and Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds.

The petition, set up by St Clement’s city councillor Tom Hayes, has been restricted so that only local people can give their support.

He said he was pleased to have the support of Ms Dodds, who he hopes will give the call a boost, particularly because he claimed the Post Office’s lack of cooperation means getting a new branch on Cowley Road ‘is getting us absolutely nowhere’.

The last Post Office in Cowley Road closed at the end of 2016 – and has yet to be replaced.

Ms Dodds said: “I think it’s really important that people have access to Post Office facilities and everything that comes with having a Post Office.

“At the moment people are required to go near the to the St Aldate's branch to do any of that activity and it’s really inconvenient.

"It’s trouble for old people who might have mobility problems. This is something we are seeing in other areas of Oxford and I have been pressing for these communities to keep Post Office services.”

Mr Hayes said: “I live and work in St Clement’s. Like my neighbours, I’m deeply frustrated by the Post Office’s closure of our Cowley Road branch. The Post Office need to bring back our branch.

"We can’t conveniently access everyday services – the alternative arrangements aren’t working for us.

“I’ve been campaigning on this issue since the closure of the branch and the Post Office need to understand once and for all that our community isn’t going to give up.

"If the Post Office finally agreed to send a representative to Oxford to meet with me, Anneliese and local residents, they would begin to grasp that and, hopefully, take action rather than avoiding the issue.”

A Post Office spokeswoman said: “We sincerely apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused by the temporary closure of Cowley Road Post Office.

"We understand how much people rely on our services and we are trying to restore these for the community as quickly as possible.

"Regrettably, there is no immediate solution, however, we will continue monitor local circumstances and look for opportunities to re-open the branch.”

This month, the Post Office confirmed it would be bringing back a new branch to Iffley Road.