POST Office bosses have announced 20 South East Cornwall branches will close – some as early as next month.

The closures follow a seven week consultation, and are among 59 being scrapped around the county.

Cornwall County Council, however, is still pressing ahead with a bid for a judicial review of Post Office Ltd's decision.

The closures follow a similar announcement, in July, to axe seven counters in Plymouth, although the Pennycomequick branch is fighting on.

The latest decision is a blow for campaigners who fought to save the Cornish branches.

Karen Gillard, the Lib-Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for South East Cornwall, said the decision had left her 'devastated and horrified'.

She said it would 'rip the heart out of so many communities' and promised to visit locations 'with her team' to look at 'community post offices or alternative arrangements'.

Post Office Ltd will now close South East Cornwall branches, at: Addington (Liskeard), Albaston (Gunnislake), Antony, Cross Park (Saltash), Luckett (Callington), Newport (Launceston), Seaton, St Cleer, West Looe and the branch in the Royal Navy's HMS Raleigh base.

In addition, the mobile services visiting Cargreen, Coads Green, Merrymeet, St Mellion and Trevelmond are also under threat while a further five post offices – Altarnun, Lerryn, St Clether, Tregadillett and St Neot – will be converted into 'outreach' services, possibly replaced by a post office counter in a pub or shop.

A mobile service operating from Tavistock and covering 19 areas is being axed. Post Office Ltd said this was 'as a result of insufficient customer usage', adding 11 of the mobile visits would be replaced with 'home' outreach services. These are at Quethiock, St Ive, Commonmoor Brake End, Commonmoor Brake Start, Lawhitton, Yeolmbridge, North Petherwin, Canworthy Water, Warbstow, Egloskerry, Lamerton and Clearbrook.

The other eight – at St Mellion, Merrymeet, Trevelmond, Coads Green, Cargreen, Peter Tavy, Buckland Monachorum and Milton Combe – will cease.

The public consultation ended on September 1 with just one threatened branch, Close Hill in Redruth, being spared.

Post Office Ltd, stressed services will still be provided through a network of 228 branches in the county.

It said this supports the national accessibility criteria introduced by the Government and ensures more than 98 per cent of Cornwall's population will either see no change to their existing branch or remain in one mile, by road, of an alternative.

During the seven week consultation, Post Office Ltd received more than 3,900 responses and attended 19 meetings with customers. Tim Nickolls, Post Office Ltd's network development manager for Cornwall, said: "These are difficult decisions which have not been taken lightly.

"We have considered very carefully all the comments made during the public consultation.

"We believe the amended plan announced today offers our customers across Cornwall the best prospect for a sustainable network in the future, bearing in mind the Government's minimum access criteria and the other factors it has asked us to consider."

Details of the public consultation are available by visiting www.postoffice.co.uk/networkchange or by writing to Post Office Ltd at Freepost Consultation Team (no stamp needed) or by emailing consultation@postoffice.co.uk.