HASLEMERE'S historic town centre post office could be on the move following plans to sell-off the Edwardian building and relocate the business in an existing shop.

A spokesman for Post Office Counters told The Herald this week: "The current post office is not suitable; it is an old branch office and we are currently looking for a new sub-postmaster with his own premises."

But the spokesman assured its West Street post office customers that it would remain open until a new buyer acquired the business.

The present postmaster, a Mr Hussein, who also runs a post office in Knaphill, near Woking, said he was "just filling in".

"I have been the temporary postmaster since August, running it on a weekly basis," he said.

With very little stock in the post office, Mr Hussein said he had taken out most of the cards and other items "because there wasn't enough demand there".

"I decided to reduce it to the minimum because I can't afford to subsidise it.

"I think the post office needs to be relocated," said Mr Hussein.

Soaring rents and business rates are thought to have been among the reasons for Post Office Counters wanting to sell the business.

Several shops in the town are known to be interested in taking it on. But Joe Nobbs the owner of Nobbs newsagents in the High Street, which was believed to be the site of a former Haslemere post office from 1895 until it moved to its new purpose-built building in West Street in 1906, did not wish to comment.

Located on the edge of the town's conservation area, the post office with its distinctive crests above the original double frontage, has been reduced in size over the years.

It used to include Haslemere's sorting office before that relocated to Kings Road Industrial site in March, 1995.

With Ask Restaurant now occupying half of the building, and some of the sorting office site, the remainder was later redeveloped as Charter Walk.

The president of Haslemere Chamber of Trade, Melanie Odell, said she was concerned about the post office.

"It would be something we would never want to lose from the town and we will certainly be making enquiries to see if there is anybody who would be willing to take it on."

Robert Serman, the chairman of the Haslemere Society, which comments on buildings and developments in the town, said the building was "delightful and an important part of our heritage".

"Its two very fine crests over the top are nice and contribute a lot to the street-scape which is in the conservation area."

Anybody interested in buying the post office business should contact The Post Office Human Resource Service Centre, Freepost, NWW1675A, Salford, Manchester, M5 9JB, telephone 0845 601 6260.

o In Liphook, there is strong public reaction against a decision to move the post office from the centre of the village to a shop in Headley Road.