Bradford's axed Exchange Post Office could re-open as a quality high street fashion shop.

Private owners of the building which shut last November after a massive campaign to save the post office say it is now being chased by retailers.

The Dundas Commercial Property Fund has submitted a planning application to Bradford Council to lower the ground floor windows to floor lever and install a ramp.

The letter boxes are being moved to neighbouring Broadway House and there are proposals to relocate the telephone kiosks to a short distance away.

More than 5,000 people signed petitions and wrote to Post Office Ltd in a bid to keep the city's best-used post office open last year.

The Telegraph & Argus spearheaded a massive campaign and Bradford Council as well as all the city's leading organisations opposed the closure.

But Post Office Ltd said the branch was not making money and the business could adequately be dealt with through improvements at the other branches in Darley Street and Sunbridge Road.

Campaigners pointed out to Post Office Ltd last year that the location of the office next to the city's £300 million Broadway shopping scheme would mean a huge increase business. But the company said then regeneration schemes were irrelevant.

But executive member of Bradford Chamber of Trade Mary Frame said: "The demand for the building by important retailers since the post office shut has just demonstrated how short sighted they were."

Consultant Tim Brown of Steadman Brierley, representing the owners, said they were keeping the property and continuing to let it.

"It is an exciting time for Bradford and this is building is in a prime position," he added.

Mr Brown said the main interest had been from quality high-street fashion shops. "Even before it has been marketed there has been high demand."

Earlier this month Bradford Council leader Councillor Margaret Eaton called on a Government minister to sort out the city's "totally inadequate" post office service.

She asked for an urgent meeting with Barry Gardiner, the parliamentary under secretary for competitiveness, but his office said it was an operational decision by the Post Office and not the sort of thing the Government would interfere in.

Chairman of Bradford City Centre Steering Group Councillor Simon Cooke said: "It demonstrates how short sighted Post Office Ltd has been about the business potential for this site. But it is good to hear that retailers want to come in and it is far better than having an empty building standing there."