HMRC is consulting on proposals to move around 50 staff from the Grantham office to Lincoln, Nottingham or Peterborough.

As well as the Grantham office, closures of offices in Gainsborough, Boston, Spalding, Newark and Retford are also planned.

A consultation period on the plans ends on Wednesday.

A spokesman for HMRC told the Journal that an inquiry desk would remain open in Grantham and that the service provided to the public would not change.

But the Public and Commercial Services Union is opposing the plans.

The union says its members are concerned about loss of local knowledge and contact for customers, increased travelling times, costs and environmental damage, impact on the local economy and childcare issues.

Spokesman Lewis Bevan said: "Our members are very upset by these proposals and we will be running a robust campaign to save our offices from closure.

"We have contacted MPs for these towns and have already been promised support."

MP for Grantham Quentin Davies visited the office in Castlegate on Friday.

He told the Journal: "The office seems to me to be an under-utilised facility and I would hope that HMRC could locate more people there rather than moving existing ones out."

Mr Davies said he would look at responses to the consultation and would consider lobbying HMRC on the matter if he felt there was a strong enough case against closure.

Do think closing the office is a good idea? E-mail us: comment@granthamjournal.co.uk