A delegation from The Gazette travelled to Watford yesterday to present a petition with 9,416 names on it calling for 12 under-threat Fylde coast post offices to be spared from the axe.

Reporter Joe Robinson and Julian Wigley, sub-postmaster at Layton's under-threat Torsway Avenue post office handed over a battle box full of petitions and an in-depth dossier of evidence on why postal bosses should think again. A letter from Gazette Editor David Helliwell also called on management to "consider in great detail" the views of the people "before finalising closure orders which could have a massively detrimental impact on local communities".

To see the letter sent to Post Offices bosses by The Gazette click here

To see the Post Office Consultation please click here

The support given during The Gazette's Stand Up For Post Offices campaign will now be added to the thousands of letters which have already been sent to mail chiefs, based at Watford Mail Centre, as part of a six-week public consultation.

The 12 branches, under threat as part of a nationwide closure programme which could see 2,500 offices go, must now wait to hear if they have a future. An announcement could be made within three weeks.

Mr Wigley thanked people for their support and said he would keep his fingers crossed for a rethink.

He said: "The support has been tremendous.

"From the hospital, to Layton Institute to the residents of Torsway Avenue and the whole of the Layton area, the support has been unbelievable. Other consultations have shown a couple of post offices in each area have been kept open. Hopefully that will happen and I'll keep my fingers crossed one of them is mine."

Dividing the country into 47 regions, Post Office Ltd has so far concluded it review of 17 areas. After consultation, only a handful of offices have been saved.

In Kent, two post offices were spared out of 58, in the east Midlands two were also saved while in North Lincolnshire just three were spared out of the 45 listed for closure.

It is now hoped postal bosses will take on board the evidence and support gathered through The Gazette campaign.

The incredible support also made Stand up for Post Offices one of our most popular campaigns ever, with five post offices drawing more than 1,000 signatures.

More than 2,000 signed up in support of both St Annes Road post office, on Harcourt Road, South Shore and Torsway Avenue post office.