District post offices seem to be hurtling towards extinction as more closures are confirmed by the week.

The Post Office has said 3,000 of its branches are under scrutiny.

Several in Brighton and Hove have closed their doors for the final time in recent months, while others in Worthing, Seaford, Keymer and Lewes face similar threats.

A key factor has been the Government decision to pay benefits, pensions and some tax credits directly into bank accounts, thus by-passing small post offices.

Yet many people, particularly the elderly and mothers, still depend on their local branches, which offer both convenience and comfort.

The Post Office may well be haemorrhaging an estimated £160 million a year but there must be a better solution than a slash-and-burn style of destruction of the post office network.