“I THINK it is disgusting,” said car dealer Richard Cooper as he arrived at the Bournemouth DVLA office.

He supported staff staging a lunchtime protest against Govern-ment cuts that will take away their 64 jobs.

All 39 regional DVLA offices are being closed between autumn 2012 and autumn 2013 to hopefully save £28million a year.

The offices are particularly popular with specialist services used by motor dealers.

They now face having to deal only with the DVLA head office in Swansea.

Mr Cooper, 48, of Autonation in Kinson, told the Echo: “If a vehicle doesn’t have a log book you can get it registered here.

“I can get that done in a day here, but it will take 7-10 days by post.”

The office is on Bourne Valley Road – just over the border into Poole – despite its name.

There are 19 staff dealing with the public and people said how convenient it was to do things face to face.

Ken Boorn, 69, from Brank-some, said: “I use it all the time.

“I came down to put my licence in because I am reaching 70 soon and it has to be renewed.”

Michelle Treacy, 50, from Canford Cliffs, said: “I have used it twice now – it’s very convenient for me.

“But would it be detrimental to have to wait for the post? I guess it depends how urgently you want something doing.”

The office also has 45 staff working on enforcement, including vehicle taxing.

The protest was organised by the PCS union, which said it has 60-70 per cent membership in Bournemouth.

Branch secretary Berewyn Long said he feared enforcement would end up being done by computer from Swansea.

Mr Long said it was unlikely staff could move into other civil service posts, given the cuts – he said 100,000 people recently applied for 4,000 positions in the Department of Work and Pensions.

Bournemouth and Poole Anti Cuts Coalition joined the protest, as did Kinson North Labour Cllr Dennis Gritt.

He said the party is putting a motion to full council on February 28 asking for the town’s MPs to oppose the closure.

Roads Minister Mike Penning said: “The changes will make dealing with the DVLA easier and quicker for motorists and businesses up and down the country.”