Campaigners have fought to save rural post offices

It comes as part of wider plans to reduce the number of branches nationally by up to 2,500.

The government says the current network of post offices is unsustainable, and is losing millions of pounds a week.

A six-week consultation in Merseyside and Cheshire is getting now under way for people to give their views on the proposed closures across the region.

But Post Office bosses claim the plans mean that 90% percent of the population will either see no change or will remain within one mile of an alternative branch.

"We believe these proposals offer the best prospect for a sustainable way forward for Post Office services in this area, bearing in mind the minimum access criteria and the other factors we have to take into account."

There are currently 14,000 post offices nationwide.