CONSUMER Focus, the consumer champions for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, has applauded Devon County Council for the support it is giving to rural post office shops.

The 16 communities, this include Ashwater; Bridestowe; Bridgerule; Chillaton; Milton Abbot and St Giles-on-the-Heath.

Richard Brown of Consumer Focus, wrote to the Council after carrying out research in Devon looking into the community response and resilience strategies following Post Office Limited's (POL) Network Change Programme in 2008.

POL's Change Programme closed 41 post offices outright across Devon and Torbay and replaced a further 37 with outreach services.

Mr Brown told the council that Consumer Focus endorses the Council's scheme, which is supporting 16 post office shops in communities that otherwise are likely to have lost the only convenience shops they have.

The chief executive of the council, Phil Norrey, and Cabinet Member responsible for the support scheme, Cllr Roger Croad, thanked Consumer Focus for their endorsement, as the council's Cabinet agreed to extend its support for a further two years.

Currently in their third year of support, the council's decision today will offer the 16 shops a further grant and retail support worth £84,000 over two years. This will give the shops an additional £2,500 each in 2011/12 and £1,500 each in 2012/13, plus specialist retail advice from the Rural Shops Alliance for the two years.