A heated meeting at Blackpool Town Hall saw councillors agree to look into ways of putting together a rescue package to save the resort's three under-threat postal branches.

They are set to be put out of business as part of a nationwide closure programme.

Senior Labour councillor Fred Jackson called for the council to financially support the threatened branches.

He put a motion before the council last night and claimed post offices had been vulnerable since being privatised by the last Conservative government.

This provoked fury from leading Tory councillors who in turn highlighted the resort's two Labour MPs – Mrs Humble and Mr Marsden – of not supporting a Parliamentary bid to suspend the closures.

Coun Maxine Callow said: "We thought you would withdraw this motion after the appalling behaviour of the two MPs who couldn't support post offices in the House of Commons because they said there was no plan B.

Well the Conservatives supported the Labour group on casinos when there was no plan B."

Mr Marsden and Mrs Humble said they did not support last week's Tory motion because it did not contain any viable rescue plans for the post offices.

But Tory Coun Tony Williams said: "This goes beyond politics, post offices are at the heart of communities. The MPs have turned the knife as they stabbed Blackpool in the back."

Putting his motion forward, Coun Jackson said: "If Post Office Ltd has got it wrong then it is up to the council to explore every avenue in which we can help. If the public want post offices then it's up to us and it's our job to provide them."

Council leader Coun Peter Callow backed the motion, but said his group was already looking at ways for the authority to help fund the under-threat branches at Layton's Torsway Avenue, Red Bank Road, Bispham, and Harcourt Road, South Shore, such as selling council services.

The Gazette's Stand up for Post Offices campaign saw more than 9,000 Fylde coast residents sign up against the closure of 12 local branches.