MESSENGER is opening a second front in the battle to save the borough's beleaguered post offices.

The campaign has already achieved a major breakthrough - with the council recently adopting a new policy to help the under threat community lifelines.

Now Messenger wants Norweb Energi to take a similar line - and help many of its most vulnerable customers at the same time.

The borough's leading newspaper is looking to its readers to back the latest campaign, by signing a petition calling on Norweb Energi to allow customers with power cards to recharge them at their local sub post office. The petitions are available at sub post offices throughout Trafford and in surrounding areas covered by Norweb Energi.

At the moment, they can only use one of the 20 pay points that are scattered throughout the borough - often leaving them with lengthy and inconvenient journeys to recharge their cards. The valuable time of home helps is also often used travelling to pay points to save their clients the journey.

Installation of pay points at Trafford's 48 sub post offices in the borough would provide them with a local service - as well as boosting the post office network.

Last year, 15,500 readers signed the Messenger petition demanding more support for sub post offices, whose future is threatened by plans to pay benefits through banks from 2003. And this year town hall chiefs gave the thumbs up to a scheme which aims to help the borough's sub post offices. The council will begin negotiations on using them for council tax, rent and other payments.

It is planned to have a trial of the scheme in parts of the borough.

Messenger's petition was delivered to Downing Street by Graham Brady, the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for the Altrincham and Sale West seat. Mr Brady has now written to Norweb calling on the firm to put its pay points into post offices: "This underlines the importance of local post offices to people - particularly those who find it difficult to travel because of disability or age.

"It is vitally important we keep the sub post offices.

"The Messenger together with local politicians campaigned successfully to highlight this issue last year, and I raised it in the House of Commons. It is important we now build on the success of the earlier campaign."

Cllr David Acton, the leader of Trafford Council, is backing the campaign: "I think this would be another step in the right direction to protect post offices and would build on the progress the council is making in developing services for the local community within post offices."

Bob Bromilow, the postmaster at Bowdon Vale sub office, says there is an urgent need for power card facilities at subs. One of his disabled customers faces a six mile round journey on two buses when he wants to recharge his card: "This customer is in his early 60s and walks with a stick - and he has to get two buses to go to Sinderland Road. Besides the inconvenience and the time it takes there is also the cost."

A spokesman for Norweb Energi says: "We are not aware of a specific problem but if anyone with a power card would like to know where their nearest outlet is they should give us a ring on 01925 465112. We are currently talking to the Post Office about connecting up with some of their system."