A MAJOR campaign to save local post offices was launched in Tavistock on Tuesday. Dignitaries, local business people, Tavistock town crier and supporters gathered for the launch of the ?Heart of the Community? regional campaign at the town?s post office. West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox said: ?It is life or death for the Post Office. The Government?s current policy will inevitably mean hundreds of post offices will close. ?We need to make it clear the rural community will not stand for closure of small post offices. They are the heart of communities.? Mr Cox will be returning to West Devon on Saturday to gather more signatures to the petition to be taken to London. Four and a half thousand signatures have so far been collected locally, but nationally there are expected to be more than three million. West Devon mayor Ken Williams said the borough council had been supporting the campaign to save post offices for six years. ?The fear is it is going to increase rural isolation if they shut down ? they are more than just a shop or post office. It is important we add our voices to the campaign.? Customers have been encouraged to write their comments on hearts, which will be taken to London on October 18 when thousands of subpostmasters will lobby Westminster. It is part of the National Federation of Sub Postmasters? call for a sustainable viable network and a clear statement on the network?s future from the Government. Tavistock mayor Caroline Keane highlighted one of the hearts, written by customers David and Freda Isaac. It said: ?We are most concerned that the Government has been and still appears to be taking action to eradicate rural Post Offices. ?Small stores and post offices are at the heart of rural and many urban areas. Their closure will be a great loss to their communities, particularly the vulnerable, ie the elderly and families without cars. Please help.? Caroline said when she moved to Tavistock she was ill, and at one time all she could do was walk to the local post office and back. ?The friendly face there was so important. It can be the only contact you have with other people. ?Village halls are lovely, but you have to have an event to go there. The post office is the rural hub, and somewhere people can go and meet others, whether by chance or arrangement.? Tony Green from Help the Aged said: ?It is the effect closures would have on the elderly. People don?t consider the difficulties and hassle factor they have just going about their everyday business. They can?t just jump in cars. The other aspect is the social one. Post offices and village halls are what makes living in the country possible.? Tavistock sub-postmaster Ravi Jhangiani said: ?The response we have had from the local community has been incredible.? He added that hearts with comments could be passed in to the post office until next Tuesday.