PROTESTERS opposing the closure of their village post office are planning to demonstrate at the opening of a new £35.3 million bypass.

Around 20 campaigners hoping to keep Greenodd post office open will line up beside the new High and Low Newton bypass, when it opens on Tuesday (April 8), holding banners and placards to draw public attention to the post office's predicament.

Greenodd post office is one of 17 branches in South Lakeland, Furness and Eden that have been told they have been earmarked for closure as part of the Post Office Ltd's cost-cutting Network Change programme.

A campaign group has formed in the tiny village on the River Crake following a public meeting in Greenodd village hall last week, which was attended by 340 people.

Janet Willis, sub-postmaster at Greenodd post office, said that since the meeting "lots" of volunteers had come forward to join the campaign, and a steering group had been formed to organise the campaign.

"We are getting placards and posters made and we would like people to donate to us any old banners we could use to paint on the back."

Mrs Willis said that the bypass protest would not be seeking to disrupt the opening of the new dual carriageway but they would be seeking to highlight the situation regarding the post office's fate.

"The group has set up a campaign website, at www.saveourpostoffice. net, where it is asking people to write letters to Post Office Ltd, to sign a petition, put posters in their car or windows at home, volunteer or pledge to carry out more transactions in the post office.