THE closure of 22 Post Office branches in Greater Glasgow means a much poorer service.

THE closure of 22 Post Office branches in Greater Glasgow means a much poorer service.

And the worst hit will be the elderly and the deprived - the very people who depend on them most.

The Post Office defence that everyone will still live within a mile of the service is lame.

A mile is a long way for an elderly person with mobility problems or a young mother struggling with a pram and shopping.

The protests of Labour politicians at the closures in their constituencies are too little and probably too late.

Where were they when their party's Trade and Industry Secretary, Alistair Darling, was approving the closure of 2500 offices across the UK?

They would have much more credibility if they had protested a lot louder when he announced his decision.

They have little chance of preventing these closures now and they better organise themselves to fight the inevitable, further closures to follow.

Fully fund zones all year round

THE drop in violence attributed to Glasgow's Nite Zones shows what can be done with a little thought and organisation.

It's little wonder that Edinburgh and other towns want to copy the initiative.

The government has recognised the success of the project by providing additional cash over the festive period.

But if it really believes the zones can cut violence, it must fully fund them throughout the year.