The threat of Post Office closures is spurring on regional papers to their campaigning best.

The Birmingham Mail hosted a public debate as part of its campaign to fight the proposed closure of 26 Post offices in the city.

While the Leighton Buzzard News is fighting planned closures as part of its on-going Broken Buzzard campaign.

Birmingham Mail editor Steve Dyson chaired the debate which was attended by MPs, Post Office representatives, Mail reporters, councillors and dozens of members of the public.

Steve said: "We had scores of people turn up. The people who came were elderly or vulnerable and who would be affected by the closures.

"It was really humbling actually in some ways, watching them struggle up the steps to come inside.

"We had representatives from the Post Office, local MPs and about 60 members of the public. They were asking them not to do it."

Birmingham Mail reporters went around the city sticking up posters promoting the debate.

Since launching the campaign, the Trinity Mirror daily has gathered over 6,000 signatures opposing the plans.

They are planning to travel to London this week in the Mail's campaign bus to the House of Commons, complete with readers and MPs, to deliver the petition.

In May, the Leighton Buzzard News launched its Broken Buzzard campaign in a bid to fix what it saw as the ills of the Bedfordshire town.

Now two Post Offices are facing the axe in the Government's closure plans.

Editor Craig Lewis said: "This week we wrote an open letter to Post Office Ltd opposing the closures which we are encouraging readers to cut out, sign and send in to the consultation process as a sign of their opposition.

"Since Broken Buzzard launched, Leighton Buzzard News has managed to pressure South Beds District Council into fixing the iconic ASK clock, make sure benches are returned to the High Street and help organise a High Street tidy up.

"We have also helped to save Brooklands Middle School from closure, highlight the dangers of development without infrastructure in the town and take an in-depth look at the problems of flooding in Leighton Buzzard."

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