THE battle continues to rage across West Devon as villages fight tooth and nail to save their post offices. It is more than a month since the Post Office Ltd released plans detailing the closure or replacement of post offices across the borough. The move has sparked outcry among the rural community and villages are campaigning vigorously before the consultation deadline on Monday, June 30. West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox last Friday visited Bridestowe Post Office and Riverside Stores to become a trainee sub-postmaster for the morning. He served customers at the post office, which is threatened with closure and replacement by an outreach service, to understand the work and the value placed upon the branch by the Bridestowe community. He was greeted by close to 100 villagers, ranging from the elderly to the children of Bridestowe Pre-School who turned out in force to support their post office. Naomi Nardi, joint owner of Bridestowe Post Office, said: 'Friday was an excellent day. There were around 100 people there and the pre-school did us proud with their signs. 'At the moment it feels positive from this point of view — the Post Office are going to know they've heard from us. If they took it on volume and expressions of support alone then I'd be hopeful. 'People have really addressed the issue of what would happen if they lost the post office and the shop. A lot of our suppliers have also written letters because, if we close, it will affect their businesses. 'It's been a brilliant reaction, everyone has understood immediately what had to be done. 'These are cohesive rural communities where people know one another and help each other out. They spin around the school, the pub, the village hall and the post office. 'It's a cliché but these are the cornerstones of the community.' Mr Cox added: 'The enormous groundswell of public opposition and indignation at the closure of Bridestowe Post Office, and other post offices throughout West Devon, is a clear indication that Post Office Ltd does not appear to have done its research carefully enough and has got many judgements badly wrong.' So far, roughly 730 letters pledging support to the post office in Bridestowe have been sent to Post Office Ltd and copied to the independent watchdog Postwatch. More are expected to be delivered before Monday's deadline. The battle has also stepped up a gear in Meeth where a special meeting of the parish council was held on Tuesday. Around 70 people from the village attended the meeting with representatives from Post Office Ltd and Postwatch present. The proposals will see Meeth Post Office, which has been run by the same family for 109 years, replaced by an outreach vehicle which will be situated in the layby on the A386. Chief among the villagers' concerns is that the proposed location for the outreach vehicle is hugely dangerous as there is no pavement or lighting on the road. Meeth resident Judy Proctor said: 'The police have told us that they are totally against an outreach vehicle and it will be unacceptable because of the danger of the road. 'So now we are in the position of having to wait for another six weeks while the Post Office come back with different proposals.' West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox has said the Post Office's proposal for a site for a mobile post office in a lay-by 600 yards outside Meeth, required two blind bends to be negotiated on a main road, without a pavement. Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Central Devon Mel Stride added: 'The problem with outreach services is that unless they are used, which often does not happen simply because of their inconvenience, they are axed later on. 'There is a great deal at stake here and we must continue to hold out for a full reprieve for these post offices.' l For more, see page 18