Protesters rally to save sorting office

A campaign to save Whitstable sorting office from closure has picked up the pace.

Chris Stone is leading the campaign

On Saturday, a group of protesters, marched through Whitstable High Street. Post officer Chris Stone, who is angry at the prospect of many postmen losing their jobs, led the group.

A group on social network site Facebook entitled “Save Whitstable and Herne Bay Delivery Offices” set up by Mr Stone, who states: “Royal Mail is supposed to be a low carbon company.”

Pointing out what he believed as hypocrisy he said, “This is a joke. Think about it. Posties will have to drive to Canterbury to sort their mail, then drive back to town to deliver it – which they will do in a van in future as Royal Mail are also intending to scrap our bikes – then drive back to Canterbury to finish off our duties, and then back to town again to go home. That’s four car journeys in place of the current none.

Add to this the fact that Whitstable and Herne Bay people will then have to drive to Canterbury and back to pick up any parcels that need collecting, and you can see that this will be a disaster for the environment.”

It was only on Friday that a group of protesters were ignored as they attempted to hand over a 4,200 signature-strong petition in Canterbury but the area manager John Verrall was not there to accept.

Mr Stone said “I wrote to Mr Verrall two months ago to say we were coming but I never received a reply.”