Save Our Post Offices campaign launched

The move to close 24 outlets in East Lancashire has been slammed by many, including Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans who said it would "tearing the guts out of village life in the area".

Meanwhile local councillors in communities affected said the closures would leave elderly and vulnerable people isolated and alone.

Our campaign gets off the ground as communities began to protest across the area, with one group pledging to go to Parliament to register their opposition.

And today we launch a protest petition which can be signed online.

Lancashire Telegraph editor Kevin Young said: "Post offices are still a vital part of community life and, for some people, a real necessity.

"Closing a quarter of East Lancashire's outlets is a hammer blow to the life of the area.

"A way should have been found to stop us getting to this impasse.

"We want people to register their opinion to this and sign our petition."

The move to close the post offices comes as the Government seeks to reduce the £4million-a-week it is losing on the Post Office network.

Similar campaigns have been launched in other parts of the country and while they have drawn attention to the plight of these vital community centres, they have in many cases failed to halt the final closure of the post office.

However, this should not stop residents speaking out in support of their post office and putting pressure on the Government not to close these essential community hubs.

Across Burnley, five post offices are due to be shut down and council leader Gordon Birtwistle threw his support behind our campaign.

He said: "I fully back the Lancashire Telegraph's campaign.

"In Burnley they have taken our hospital, our libraries and now they want to take our post offices.

"It's going to be a case of would the last one out of the town please switch off the light."

In Ribble Valley, the situation is also bleak with four sites under threat and rural communities facing the loss of a vital lifeline.

Ribble Valley council leader Michael Ranson believes it is important that people get behind the Lancashire Telegraph campaign.

He said: "There is no question that I support this campaign and its aims.

"There are places in the borough where the post office is a vital part of the community and if it is taken from the shop then that also ceases to be profitable so villages lose another asset."

Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe hit out over plans to shut five post offices in the borough.

He said: "I think we have had enough closures because we lost Oswaldtwistle and Stanhill and it's such an integral part of the community and a life line.

"Post offices also help other traders within a shopping area because they draw people in.

"I welcome the Lancashire Telegraph's involvement as a major newspaper for the area and what it is doing is really good.

"To be able to harness the power of the Lancashire Telegraph to try and save post offices is vital."

Pendle has six post offices operating under the shadow of closure and David Whipp, county councillor for the area, said any closure would have a massive impact.

Coun Whipp, who also represents Barnoldswick on the borough council, said: "It would be quite a blow.

"There is a row of shops in Gisburn Road and taking away the post office takes away money from these.

"We would be losing a vital community commodity.

"There are lots of older people who draw there pensions from there and they will be disadvantaged by going to other places further away."