BOLTON'S MPs are to step up pressure on Royal Mail managers to drop plans to close distribution centres at Lostock and Wingates.

The towns three Labour MPs are to meet local trades union representatives on Monday following a visit to Westminster by a delegation from the Communication Workers' Union.

The delegation met all North-west Labour MPs to protest at the plan to shut postal distribution centres in Bolton and Liverpool and concentrate everything at Crewe.

Despite assurance from Royal Mail that jobs will be preserved, the union claims hundreds of jobs will be lost.

After the meeting, Bolton South East MP Brian Iddon revealed that pressure would be stepped up starting with a meeting on Monday morning between local shop stewards and the three MPs in Labour's Bolton offices in St George's Road.

And Dr Iddon revealed he and his colleagues Ruth Kelly and David Crausby would be speaking to ministers and Royal Mail bosses to try and change their mind.

Dr Iddon said: "I am very concerned about this and I am pressing Royal Mail to drop the plan.

"We will meet local representatives on Monday and I shall be speaking to ministers about this.

"I hope that a change of government may result in a change of heart by bosses. They claim that they want to site distribution centres on motorway spines but Bolton is on the M62 motorway spine."

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