Post Office bosses this morning made a dramatic U-turn and announced Lytham's Warton Street branch would stay open – despite originally
earmarking it as one of 12 across the Fylde coast to go as part of nationwide closures.

See the full list of Lancashire post office closures here

It is a major victory for local supporters and The Gazette's Stand Up For Post Offices campaign as Lytham is one of only seven out of 700 to be saved nationally and the only one reprieved in Lancashire.

However, while campaigners in Lytham were cracking open the Champagne it was despair for many other communities with all 11 of the other Fylde offices being closed.

See our Stand up for Post Offices section

Red Bank Road, Bispham, Torsway Avenue, Layton, St Annes Road, South Shore, Hodderway, Poulton, The Lighthouse in Fleetwood and Victoria Road West, Cleveleys, will all close together with Singleton, Elswick and Catforth.

Some could be closed as early as the end of this month.

Lytham postmaster Mark Bamforth, whose family has run the Warton Street office for 44 years, said: "We are delighted that we will be able to continue serving our existing customers and new customers alike.

"Myself, my family and all the staff would like to say a big thank you to all our customers and supporters."

Fylde MP Mr Jack said: "I'm delighted for the people of Lytham and on a personal note I'm delighted for Mark Bamforth and his family.

"They will now have the opportunity to continue serving the community of Lytham as they have for so many years and I'm glad Post Office Ltd have listened to our valid arguments against its closure."

More than 1,000 of the 9,000 Gazette readers who supported Stand Up For Post Offices registered their support for Warton Street.

Cath Powell, who organised a campaign march which attracted 2,000 supporters, added: "It's the local community who have saved their post office. They have been fantastic as have the local businesses."

Post Office bosses said they gave Lytham a reprieve after studying evidence raised during the six-week public consultation held after the closures were announced in late January.

A spokesman said the office was saved "following a review of the issues raised during consultation and of factors relating to the impact on the nearest alternative branch and additional information relating to development activity and regeneration plans for the area."

A total of 58 post offices across Lancashire were earmarked for the axe as part of a programme of 2,500 closures nationwide. Lytham was the only office Lancashire to be saved.

Post Office bosses – who say the company loses £4m a week due to falling demand – claim the closures are necessary to put it back on "a stable footing".

And they announced today, despite saving Lytham, they would still be closing 58 offices.

Newburgh Post Office in Wigan has been dragged onto the hitlist to replace Warton Street.

The Post Office spokesman added: "The announcement today means 58 branches will close in Lancashire and Fylde with Southport with the first closures scheduled to take place in late April."