HUNDREDS of residents have signed a petition calling for the return of two post offices in East Oxford and Iffley.

In December, the Cowley Road post office based at the Honest Stationary shop shut.

This was followed in March by the closure of the Iffley Road branch when its postmaster retired.

Vacancies to run both branches are currently being advertised on runapostoffice.co.uk but there are increasing fears the closures will become permanent.

Labour city councillor for St Clement’s Tom Hayes, created a petition on Change.org this week after being inundated with emails from worried residents.

He said: "Since the Cowley Road post office closed late last year, I've been in constant touch with the Post Office about how to bring back important community services.

"But, the Post Office just isn't listening to our demands, we're no nearer to bringing back local services, and more and more people are struggling to meet their basic postal needs."

"The longer a post office is closed, the harder it is to be brought back.

"We're reaching a tipping point where, unless the Post Office feels the heat, it is going to keep on feeling like it can get away with murder."

Many residents have left their own experiences on the petition website.

Geraldine Carter wrote: "Since moving to Oxford 12 years ago, the four closest post offices have been shut.

"As a partially disabled OAP who is actively contributing to society by co-running a small publishing company for children with literacy difficulties, I have found it particularly difficult to lose all neighbourhood post offices."

Courtney Traub added: "I'm tired of feeling as if essential services have been stripped from East Oxford, where I live.

"It is ludicrous that one now has to traipse all the way to St Aldate's to send a simple package or purchase international stamps."

The petition currently has more than 240 signatures and is available on bit.ly/2vGJADL

Mr Hayes said: "Every single one of the many, many comments on the petition has come from local people, which shows just how much the petition is East Oxford's collective expression of dissatisfaction.

"Residents are teaching the Post Office the important lesson that it can't ignore or ride roughshod over the views of local communities."

A large part of the problem, he added, was trying to get someone to take over the franchise and the petition calls for more to be done to help those interested.

The councillor revealed he had spoken with several retailers in East Oxford and they told him they were put off by the strict criteria set up by the Post Office.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail in June, Post Office spokeswoman Sheila Tapster said it was committed to bringing the service back to the area.