AN extraordinary meeting of Hyndburn Council has been called in a last-ditch attempt to halt plans to "close" two East Lancashire post offices.

And campaigners have said that they are optimistic that their protests over the franchising of one of the sites could lead to a delay or even a change of heart from bosses.

The Post Office has announced plans to privatise the main "Crown" offices in Abbey Street, Accrington, and Ainsworth Street, Blackburn.

But protesters claim the move will mean a reduction in service, and must be halted.

Thousands of signatures have been collected from concerned customers in the weeks since the plans were first announced.

And the protests have been backed by local councillors as well as Hyndburn MP Greg Pope and Blackburn MP Jack Straw.

Now Hyndburn Council has called an extraordinary meeting of its full council on Wednesday where members will slam the Post Office for its "aggressive profiteering".

The council has drafted a letter to the company which "condemns the way the Post Office is culling publicly provided services" and talks of the "damaging effect" the move would have on the area.

A consultation period on the proposals ends on October 10.

Andy Tatchell, secretary of the North Lancashire and Cumbria branch of the Communication Workers' Union, said: "This decision is wrong because it has nothing to do with improving services - it is all about costs."

But the Post Office said the move would not affect services.

In Accrington plans have been announced to franchise the Abbey Street branch to a firm called UBf Ltd. In Blackburn, the branch will be franchised to NewsPlus (Blackburn) Ltd.

Staff at the two branches, 15 in Accrington and 20 in Blackburn, have been told their options will be to work elsewhere within Post Office Ltd or the Royal Mail Group, take voluntary redundancy, or re-apply for their own jobs.

But it is thought that the negative publicity surrounding the plans could cause a delay in the process.

Mr Tatchell said that the campaigning and protests would continue.