POLITICIANS and residents have been queuing up to slate the plan to relocate Winchester's main post to WH Smith's in the High Street.

The Royal Mail intends to shut the Middle Brook Street outlet as part of a national cull of 70 crown post offices to plug annual losses of £70m across the network.

Last week, Winchester City Council Tory leader, Cllr George Beckett, wrote to the Royal Mail complaining that local authorities were not consulted before closures were announced.

This week, the city's Lib Dems gathered outside the Winchester branch of WH Smith, and received a petition from 90 residents of the St John's Almshouses who are concerned about the move.

The petition was accepted by city MP, Mark Oaten, who is calling for talks with Royal Mail bosses.

His party colleague, Martin Tod, who is hoping to succeed him, added that the Post Office needed to reveal more about the move.

"The big concern that people talk about is the queuing," he said.

"When we already have big queues at WH Smith and the post office, it doesn't seem as if it will work."

Mr Tod's Conservative rival, Steve Brine, said he also doubted if the scheme was practical.

"I think that from a purely logical point of view, Winchester demands and deserves a full-scale post office," he said.

He added that residents faced a "double whammy" with several of the district's sub-post offices facing an uncertain future.

WH Smith has insisted that there will be enough room inside its Winchester branch for the scheme to work.

The new counters would also be more modern and open longer, the retailer said.