Mrs Knowles (85) was among the protestors who staged the first demonstration since the Craigweil area was built some 80 years ago.

She was joined by at least 250 others as the community gathered to express their anger that the Craigweil Post Office could close in May.

The unpredecented scene saw the police close the access road off Barrack Lane to the Coastguards Parade shops to enable the protestors to gather safely outside the post office.

They poured out from the surrounding estate with their wheelchairs, their placards, their councillors and even their dogs to make their view plain.

Mrs Knowles regularly manages the short walk to the post office from her nearby home in The Drive by pushing a four-wheeled frame.

But the journey to the nearest alternative - if Aldwick Post Office in Aldwick Street closes as well - will be way beyond her limited mobility.

She said: "It makes me angry to think that Craigweil Post Office could close.

"I really don't think the managers could have looked at all the information if they want that to happen.

"They are looking to get people off the roads and then they do this."

Her husband, Philip Knowles (86) stated: "There's no way my wife can walk the mile and a half to Rose Green Post Office and back.

"I will have to take her there in our car. I can still drive, though I don't know for how much longer and I don't know what will happen then.

"I estimate I will be driving 400 miles extra a year just to go to a post office if this closure happens.

"At an estimate, that makes 20,000 extra miles for everyone who is here. That doesn't make sense."

Audrey Allsop (81), of Grangewood Drive, carried a placard which read: 'Listen to us at Craigweil Post Office'.

"I use this post office every day," she explained. "It is very important to this area. If it goes, we will lose part of our community.

"It will also affect the rest of the businesses along this parade.

"People are not going to go all the way to Rose Green to the post office and then come back here to do some shopping."

Aldwick Bay estate resident Steve Beadle (46) said: "This area is relatively isolated for people without cars. There is no bus service here.

"This post office is part of our community."

Neighbouring butcher Peter Boarer and his staff joined the protestors. He has run his shop a couple of doors from the Post Office for 22 years. He said: "It will be tragic if this post office closes and a real stab in the heart for our community.

"Between our two shops we try to provide all the goods people need.
"If the post office closes, it will detrimental to the area. This is definitely the wrong location for it to be shut."

Postmistress Barbara Doe said she and her husband, Robin, were delighted with the level of backing.

"People have been very supportive towards us. Everyone is behind us.

"We feel gutted this post office could close," she continued. "We will have been here 20 years in June and people are horrified the post office could close.

"They always thought we would be safe because of our position.

"The majority of our customers are retired and there's no way they are going to be able to walk to Rose Green, especially along Stoney Stile Lane on a dark and icy winter day."

The last word should go to Velvet, an eight-year-old labrador taken along by Paul Sabin (67), of Cypress Way.

She wore a specially made collar which simply said: "Save our Post Office."