SHOCK plans to close two post offices in Radcliffe were unveiled on Wednesday.

Now residents, councillors and MPs are joining forces to throw their weight behind a campaign to keep them open.

Post Office Ltd revealed that Chapelfield post office in Stand Lane, and Radcliffe Hall post office, in Cross Lane, could close within three months, along with 11 others across Bury.

The threatened closures come as the national network of 9,000 urban post offices is being restructured as many -- in cities in towns -- are competing for too little business.

But Radcliffe councillor Barry Briggs says that the town will fight to keep the post offices open.

He said: "We will campaign to try to keep these post offices open. Any reduction in facilities for people in Radcliffe is a bad thing."

Radcliffe MP Ivan Lewis has also promised to fight the closures because of the impact they would have on residents.

He said: "I am determined to fight the closure which is genuinely detrimental to our local community. I am particularly concerned about the impact on pensioners, disabled people, and residents without easy access to public transport and small businesses."

The MP now plans to consult residents and traders, as well as meeting representatives of the Post Office and Postwatch, the consumer watchdog for postal services. He added: "It would be dishonest to pretend that the current local post office network is either viable or sustainable. However, these proposals need to be put under the microscope and, where flawed, opposed rigorously."

Proposed closures have been announced on an area-by-area basis and the public consultation period has been extended from four to six weeks, until March 30.

Following the consultation, post offices could close their doors for the final time just two months later.

Eddie Herbert, head of area for urban post offices, said: "Proposals to close post offices are not made without considerable research and discussion so we are anxious that customers and all relevant organisations understand why we consider it necessary to reduce the size of our network. The harsh reality is that many urban offices are struggling to survive because there are too many branches for the amount of business."

Campaigners and councillors met outside the two under-threat Radcliffe post offices yesterday afternoon to petition passers-by about the closures. The other 11 post offices planned for closure in the borough are: Nuttall Lane in Bolton Street, Ramsbottom; Hollins in Hollins Lane, Bury; Bolton Road, Bury; Woolfold in Tottington Road, Bury; Jericho in Rochdale Old Road, Bury; Danesway in Bury Old Road, Prestwich; Whitefield PO in Bury New Road, Whitefield; Park Lane PO in Whitefield; Whittaker PO in Whittaker Lane, Heaton Park; Besses o' th' Barn in Bury Old Road, Whitefield; and Hillock in Albert Place, Whitefield.