Council bosses have thrown their weight behind a fight to save Burgess Hill's main post office.

Mid Sussex District Council has voiced serious concerns over the possible loss of the service.

The council agreed to write to Consignia, which owns Royal Mail, the Post Office and Parcelforce, imploring the company to keep a main post office in Burgess Hill.

Christine Field, leader of the council, said: "The prospect of a burgeoning and prosperous town such as Burgess Hill being expected to operate without a central post office is unimaginable. We all depend upon the post office for the wide range of services it provides."

The Co-op store, which was housed in the same building in Church Walk as the post office, closed in December.

The store ran the post office as a franchise and agreed to keep it open until the lease ran out in October.

B-wise, which is opening a department store on the site, confirmed it would not be taking over the franchise and Consignia has yet to find an alternative shop.

There are three sub-post offices in the town in Lower Church Road, London Road and at World's End.

A Consignia spokesman said the company was doing everything it could to keep the main post office.