ANGRY residents and shopkeepers today backed a judge who highlighted the vulnerability of Little Lever Post Office.

They slammed it as being "unsafe" and nothing more than "a dark back alley".

Some say they prefer to travel into Bolton town centre than go to their local branch.

During a court case on Tuesday, in which two men involved in an armed robbery at the post office last July were jailed, judge Gillian Ruaux said that anyone familiar with the area could appreciate the vulnerability of the building.

The same day the post office was raided again.

Critics say the problems arose when the entrance to the post office was altered.

Customers used to be able to walk through the more accessible entrance of an adjoining newsagents into it.

But then, two years ago, the shops were divided, sealing the access off, and creating a new door at the end of the precinct, in a passage leading to the rear of shops and facing a wall.

One local shopkeeper said: "The post office seemed oblivious to local concern when things were changed.

"Petitions were ignored to stop it happening, and since then there have been three armed robberies.

Vulnerable

"It is unsafe and very vulnerable."

Young mother, Vicki Mottram, 22, has refused to go into the post office at all since it was changed.

She said: "You go in there, get your money, come out and have no idea who you are going to bump into - or whether there is going to be someone waiting for you round the corner.

"There is nothing you can do. It is like getting your money in a dark back alley.

"I now refuse to go there. I have all my benefits paid into my bank account and if I need to go to a post office I would rather travel into Bolton.

"The thought of having to go in there frightens me.

"It was a really stupid idea to put a post office in such a vulnerable site."

Another shopper added: "People are terrified of going in there because when you come out you know you are putting yourself at risk."

A Post Office spokesman said: "As part of our investigation into the incident we will be looking at every aspect, including the entrance."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.