WEST Devon Borough Council leaders are calling on the Government to protect rural post offices by extending their subsidies until 2008.
And they warn that without the financial support, some of the more rural post offices in the borough may be at risk.
Last year the Government brought in the £150 million subsidy for post offices to help them remain open in rural communities.
The Post Office watchdog PostCom is understood to be advising the Government to end the support by 2006 amid moves to modernise the service.
In a letter to Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt, the council?s political leaders, Cllr Dick Eberlie (Conservatives), Cllr Mrs Margaret Garton (Independents) and Cllr Mrs Alison Clish Green (Liberal Democrats), ask her to retain the subsidies and extend them for a further two years.
They say: ?We have many small post offices that are struggling to survive to fulfil a crucial role in the life of the communities they serve.?
They point out that the council area, serving just more than 50,000 people, is one of the largest rural and sparsely populated in England.
Post Offices play an integral role in the life of communities such as those in West Devon and the leaders are urging Ms Hewitt to reject the views of PostCom.
They add: ? We would urge that you do this and retain the subsidy to 2008.
?Without this, we fear that few of our post offices will survive and cannot believe that PostCom have taken this fact into account.?