Last updated 15:28, Tuesday, 01 July 2008

THE axe is poised over 17 post offices in Tynedale, as the Post Office today unveiled its dreaded hit list of proposed closures.
Six of the district’s post offices will close completely, putting a huge question mark over the viability of some village shops.
Another 11 will be reduced to outreach offices, where an established subpostmaster (known as the “core” subpostmaster) will travel into a nearby community to provide a Post Officeservic; in addition to running their own branch.
Those earmarked for total closure are at West Wylam, Horsley, Ovingham, Sinderhope, Whitfield and Otterburn.
Post offices at Scots Gap, Bardon Mill, Belsay, Blanchland, Colwell, Fourstones, Gilsland, Humshaugh, Langley, Newton, and Slaley will be reduced to outreach services only.
An additional outreach service will be introduced at Rochester where at present there is no Post Office service.
Local people now have six weeks to object to the closures, and campaigning to save the doomed post offices will start today.
See the Courant on Friday to see how you can save your post office,