POST Office Ltd bosses have agreed to protect services at Broughton-in-Furness PO for another year.

The company had planned to change the branch to a Local Plus model, which would have reduced the services that villagers have come to rely on.

Annette Carmichael, chair of Broughton Community Plan Steering Group, sought help from John Woodcock, who is hoping to be re-elected as MP for Barrow and Furness at the general election.

He met with PO bosses in London where he pressed the case for Broughton post office to stay as a community branch, and the company agreed to do so for another year.

Mr Woodcock said: "It is vital that we fight to retain rural post office services and Broughton is an important case in point.

"This is especially the case when crown post offices like Ulverston are in the firing line and our campaign to save the County Square operation has generated fantastic support with more than 8,000 people signing our petition to save it."

Mrs Carmichael said: "Broughton Post Office is absolutely crucial to residents and local businesses so it’s welcome news that its status will stay the same for another year.

!But Post Office Ltd needs to adequately recognise the challenges of running a rural post office and provide support for the long term."