BRADPOLE Post Office has been saved from closure after a fight by villagers and customers.

Mike Chivers, who has run the post office and shop in the village for the past 16 years, was told the news this week.

"They rang me to say we have been taken off the closure list but I know no details as to why. I would like to thank everybody that's written. It was a well-orchestrated, wellrun campaign. I'd like to thank the town and parish council, the district council and MP Oliver Letwin, who did a sterling job," he said.

"I am really, really pleased. Obviously it's a great weight off my mind, as you can imagine I have had quite a few sleepless nights over the past few months. I think it is a very, very important facility in the village and it would be missed if it wasn't here."

Mr Chivers said he would not have been able to carry on running his shop without the post office.

Postwatch, the consumer watchdog for postal services, which helped save the post office, said that customers must use the post office or it might still be lost.

Postwatch had opposed the closure of the Bradpole village post office because it served a distinct rural community encompassing Bradpole, Loders, Uploders, Nettlecombe and Powerstock.

The post office was threatened with closure after being branded an urban branch.

Gary Hepburn, regional manager of Postwatch, said: "Post Office Ltd has seen sense and we are glad that they have accepted the case put by Postwatch for retaining the post office. It is good news for the people of Bradpole and the surrounding villages that they will retain their post office.

"During the consultation period local people expressed their support for the post office, but it is now more important than ever that they show this support by using the post office and continuing to support it in the months and years ahead."

A spokesman for the Post Office said in the light of all the submissions from Postwatch and local residents they had decided to withdraw the threat to close Bradpole Post Office, but he warned that it was up to local people to ensure its longterm future by actually using it.