FOREIGN Secretary Jack Straw today took time out from the Iraq crisis to back a Lancashire Evening Telegraph campaign to save community chemists.

Despite a busy schedule of tense diplomatic negotiations, the Blackburn MP said he would find time to meet protesters again.

And he praised chemists and post offices for the "important" role they play in communities.

Chemists are under threat from proposals which would allow pharmacies to be set up anywhere.

A campaign by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph to prevent the measures being implemented has won the support of other MPs, local pharmacies and Age Concern.

They believe the proposals would squeeze out smaller, but vital, community chemists.

Currently, pharmacists can only operate in an area if local health authorities are satisfied it is "necessary or desirable'".

Thousands of protesters across East Lancashire, who are against the closure of chemists and post offices, have been busy signing petitions.

And Mr Straw has vowed to meet some of those campaigners.

He said: "I have already met the protesters over the chemists closure.

"I will be happy to see the people involved in the campaign when I am next up.

"I met people who protested about post office closures when that issue arose.

"Local post offices and local chemists provide an important service for the community, which is much wider than the products they sell."

A report by the Office of Fair Trading on the future of chemists will be considered by the government later this month.

Post Offices in Addison Street, Johnston Street, and in Redlam. Blackburn, are earmarked for closure.

And 9,000 others across the country face the threat of having to close.

Management said there were too many offices competing for too little business and they had to be closed to safeguard the remaining businesses.