Aged as young as nine, they joined the latest street demonstration against the possible loss of the Aldwick branch within Tudor News.

Their presence alongside older users of the popular business in Aldwick Street swelled the number who turned out last Saturday afternoon to about 60.

Protest organiser and Aldwick Street resident Laura Thompson, an 18-year-old art student at Chichester College, said: "It's important to me to fight for the post office because this is about our future.

"It's not just about our post office. It's about how people are treated in general. If the post office goes, what is going to be next?

"I use the post office quite a lot to buy stamps.

"I'm pleased with the turnout. I distributed 150 leaflets through peoples' front doors and put up posters in the hair salon next door."

Lee Isted (14), who lives close to the post office, said: "I want to keep this post office open because a lot of elderly people use it. They will not manage to get to Rose Green Post Office instead.

"It's better to have the post office nearer to their homes.

"I also come here for my mother. If I have to go to Rose Green instead, it's a longer walk and I have to cross a main road."

Hannah Isted (13) brought along a home-made protest poster.

"This post office is a good place to go," she said. "It's just around the corner from where I live and it's important to have it here when you need it."

Fellow Bognor Regis Community College pupil Tara Baker (12) and John Baker (9), of Rose Green Junior School, also added their presence to the protest.

They were joined outside the post office by Bognor Regis and Littlehampton MP Nick Gibb.

He said: "It's encouraging to see that young people are concerned about the future of the post office.

"They don't use post offices so much as older people. But they are adding their voices to the protests because they know the effect any closure will have on others."

He urged anyone worried about the threatened closures of five branches around Bognor to write to Post Office Ltd with their views.

"I hope people are getting the message to do that.

"There is a lot of upset among people about losing their local post office.

"What Post Office Ltd want to see is the strength of argument about why the branches should be kept open," he stated.

The protest was the second in five days outside the post office run by Ashvin Patel and his wife, Kay.

Mr Patel stressed that Tudor News would survive any closure of the post office.