PASSENGER safety could be put at risk if proposed ticket office closures go ahead at four local Underground stations, according to a local transport group.

Last week London Underground (LU) announced it would be closing a number of ticket offices around the capital including North Harrow, Canons Park, West Harrow and Sudbury Hill.

But Harrow Council and local resident associations have voiced their anger at the plans and have said they will campaign to stop the closures.

Anthony Wood, chairman of the Harrow Public Transport Users Association - an umbrella group which acts on behalf of the residents' groups, is furious there has been no public consultation.

He said: "This is a retrograde step, a ticket office is not just for issuing tickets, it is a focal point of the station.

"If people need to buy special tickets or if large groups are travelling they will need to go elsewhere. Also the closure will affect security.

"This is going to cause inconvenience and an insecure feeling."

LU decided to close ticket offices and reduce the opening hours of others as more people are using Oyster cards for their journeys.

A statement issued by the transport company said: "From March 2008, due to the reduced demand for tickets around 40 of the most lightly-used ticket offices at Tube stations will close.

"Other stations will see a reduction in ticket office hours. However, the busiest stations - notably the big interchanges with a high volume of visitors - will not be affected."

Leader of Harrow Council, Cllr Chris Mote, said he and his party (Conservatives) were strongly against the plans.

He explained: "Harrow has been marginalised again.

"I fear that the proposals are the thin end of the wedge and that no booking office in Harrow will be safe if LU is allowed to proceed with these closures.

"I strongly object to the fact there has been no consultation with local residents or the council.

"It is imperative we resist these closures with all our might as there are further plans for many offices across the borough to be closed at weekends, during off-peak hours and afternoon peaks hours.

"These proposals are ill-conceived. What do you do when there is no one at the station and the ticket machines are not working? Will Ken Livingstone offer reassurance to the millions of passengers that use the Tube every day that they will not face fines?

"Any closure would be the start of the end and we will fight these closures tooth and nail to ensure that Harrow gets a fairer deal."