CORNWALL'S bid to save its threatened post offices from closure has passed its first legal hurdle and will go before a judge.

Bosses at Cornwall County Council (CCC) applied for a judicial review of the proposals put forward by Post Office Limited to close up to 62 branches across the county.

This week the council lodged papers at London's High Court.

Part of the application included a request for interim relief which would stop Post Office chiefs closing any post offices in Cornwall until the application for a judicial review has been decided.

According to the council, the judge has considered the application and decided that the issues regarding interim relief should be heard in court during the week commencing September 26.

The CCC believes that after the hearing they will be told whether or not it has permission to judicially review the Royal Mail Group and Post Office Limited.

Council leader David Whalley said: "This is an important step forward in seeking a judicial review.

"Cornwall County Council is prepared to stand up to the Labour Government on this and will do everything it can to rescue our Post Offices.

"We are fighting to protect our rural Post Office network, and we now have the chance to amend the mistakes that the Conservatives and Labour have made in the past.

"We will have our day in court."

Adam Paynter, deputy leader of Cornwall County Council, said: "We are fighting to keep all of our post offices open. Close a post office and you rip the heart out of the local community. The post office goes, then it's the village shop, then the pub – the knock-on effect is considerable."

CCC wants Post Office bosses to abandon the current consultation exercise and delay making any decisions until what it describes as a "new fair and lawful consultation exercise has been carried out".

Council chiefs believe there are serious flaws in the Post Office's consultation process which render it potentially unfair.

The proposal document, the council argues, contains a number of serious errors, such as the wrong population figures for the county and including the Isles of Scilly and Dartmoor in the Cornwall plan.

The council is also asking for a copy of any list of "reserve" branches intended to close in possible substitution for branches among the 49 currently proposed for closure in Cornwall.

Mr Paynter said: "We are having to mount this legal challenge because the consultation document is not fair and accurate.

"The whole process has been rushed through without enough time and consideration taken over decisions that will have a severe impact on Cornwall.

In Devon 37 post offices will be shut down by the end of October.

On top of the closures, a further 32 post offices will be replaced by outreach services, while seven more branches are still under review.

Two replacement closure post offices are undergoing consultation.