A DELEGATION of West Devon councillors and a representative of Dartmoor National Park Authority last week met the Post Office area review team to discuss the implications of potential Post Office closures across the borough. The Devon review started on February 4 as part of the Government's national programme to close around 2,500 post offices this year. Councillors are concerned the closure of rural post offices could deal another, possibly fatal, blow to rural villages, where the post office is often also the village shop and the only readily accessible shop for many local residents. Cllr David Weeks, chairman of the council's overview and scrutiny committee, said: 'We felt that it was essential to explain to the review team the realities of living in one of the most sparsely populated districts in the country. 'Most of West Devon is poorly served by public transport and with a high proportion of elderly people living in our district, the closure of village post offices could be very damaging to the sustainability of our rural communities. 'We want to ensure that the general public is made aware of this closure programme and the potentially damaging implications for the rural economy.' The Post Office review team will announce which post offices are likely to close during May. A period of public consultation will follow.