POSTMASTERS in East Lancashire will find out in January if their branches have been earmarked for closure.

Government chiefs plan to announce which post offices in the area are under threat on January 22.

A period of public consultation will follow the crunch date, with a final decision due in April.

The news comes after the Government asked the Post Office to suspend the closure programme so it didn't interfere with next year's local elections.

A letter sent to sub postmasters, seen by the Lancashire Telegraph, said post office closure could become a "local political issue".

It said: "For that reason, we have been asked by the Government to introduce a freeze on some elements of the Network Change programme during the run up to these elections."

Council elections are to be held across East Lancashire in May, but as the closure programme in this area is due to have finished by then, post offices in this area will not be affected.

For Darwen party leader Coun Tony Melia said he had been contacted by a number of people worried about the future of post offices in the area.

He said: "Post offices are a major bone of contention. Every time a closure is announced people are up in arms.

"Some of these closures have basically been postponed for political reasons."

But a spokesman for the Government's Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform said postponing the announcements was normal practice for the 'purdah' period leading up to an election.

A Post Office spokesman said the process had been postponed to consult as fully as possible, including with councillors.