CAMPAIGNERS' hopes of moving their under-threat post office into their local shop have suffered a setback.

Proposals to move Abbotskerswell Post Office into the community shop may not form part of an 'economic argument' for keeping a post office in the village, a leading campaigner has warned.

The obstacle was revealed after campaigners met with Post Office representatives and their MP Richard Younger-Ross.

But it will not prevent them battling on with their cause, parish council chairman David Munden declared.

Cllr Munden met Post Office Ltd representatives to discuss why their branch had been earmarked for closure.

Teignbridge Lib Dem MP Richard Younger-Ross attended, along with a spokesman from Postwatch, the industry's independent watchdog.

Mr Younger-Ross said: "We had a very full and frank exchange of view.

"It was extremely worthwhile meeting and will enable the parish council and myself to present our arguments in the most effective way in a bid to save the post office."

Villagers had hoped to persuade post office bosses to keep their under-threat branch open — but the outlook was gloomy.

Cllr Munden said: "They are completely bound by the criteria set down by the Government."

Earlier this month, Post Office Ltd formally started consultation into proposals to close the branch.

It came after closures were confirmed in Hennock, Holcombe and Stokeinteignhead.

Torquay's Chelston and Torre branches were saved.

Abbotskerswell Parish Council launched a campaign to save its branch and has been urging people to write to Post Office Ltd urging it to reconsider.

They proposed to move the post office into Model Stores, run by Lynn Howard. she supports the move.

If the plan to axe the post office goes ahead, residents living in the 3,000-strong village would have to travel to branches in Kingskerswell, Ipplepen or Newton Abbot.

Cllr Munden said: "We are now absolutely clear that we are going to have to narrow our criteria down to fit their criteria. To that extent, it was a useful meeting.

"The sad part is that any economic argument of moving the place to the village shop does not come into it whatsoever because the Government has laid down the rules and money is not one of them."

He said the meeting had formed part of the consultation so it could be 'fed in' to the process.

In Abbotskerswell's branch access report issued by the Post Office, figures show their post office has between 300 and 400 weekly customer sessions — or transactions — compared to just 49 in Hennock, and 199 in Holcombe and Stokeinteignhead.

Cllr Munden said: "No other village shop which has been subject to the closure consultation has had such a high number of customer sessions."

A public meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, September 4, at 7.45pm at the Church House.

Arthur McGee, the external relations manager, and Colin Pound from Post Office Ltd will be in attendance.

He added: "We are not discontinuing the argument of moving it into the shop but we are focusing in more on the serious disadvantages that people will have if they are forced to use the branch in Newton Abbot.

"Newton Abbot's post office is not in the most convenient place and is already over-stretched."