A village used to fighting the good fight for everything from its school to its pub is now celebrating after its hardest won victory yet. Beeston has been reprieved from a mass cull of Post Office Ltd's branches.

A village used to fighting the good fight for everything from its school to its pub is now celebrating after its hardest won victory yet.

Beeston has been reprieved from a mass cull of Post Office Ltd's branches.

The victory has been hailed as bitter sweet as other villages in the area face up to the loss of their branches.

Those at Clint Green, Longham, North Tuddenham and Tittleshall have been given notice that they are going to close for good.

It comes after a six week consultation deemed a done deal and 'utterly pathetic' by MPs.

Dave Noakes, who runs the shop and post office with his wife Debbie, said: “It is a great relief, a huge relief. We are very happy we have been reprieved, but we are sad for all the offices that are closing.

“We have every sympathy for them. We have stared down the same barrels and had the same feelings of dread. It has been over a month and it makes you stop and re-evaluate everything.”

The key to their fight was proving what they would lose - and disproving claims Post Office Ltd had made.

The nearest branch would have meant a three day round trip using public transport or walking a road deemed too dangerous by Norfolk County Council.

The post office and shop also provides a cornerstone of community services - from repeat prescriptions for people unable to make the journey to a surgery to a home shopping service with Sainsbury's.

Mid Norfolk MP Keith Simpson said he was thrilled Beeston had been saved but the fear now was that the whole ordeal will be repeated in 2011 when the government calls time on the post office subsidy.

"Everything is going to be put on hold for the next two years when there is going to be a bigger number under threat," he said.

He said now was the time local authorities should be looking at what they could do to safeguard the future of post offices.

Norman Lamb, MP for North Norfolk said the decision was “utterly pathetic” and a “fait accompli”.

Mid Norfolk MP Keith Simpson said he was thrilled Beeston had been saved but the fear now was that the whole ordeal will be repeated in 2011 when the government calls time on the post office subsidy.

"Everything is going to be put on hold for the next two years when there is going to be a bigger number under threat," he said.

He said now was the time local authorities should be looking at what they could do to safeguard the future of post offices.

Norman Lamb, MP for North Norfolk said the decision was “utterly pathetic” and a “fait accompli”.

Mr Noakes thanked Di Walthew of the parish council who had helped people campaign for Beeston, Breckland Council, district councillor Mark Kiddle-Morris and the many villagers who wrote to Post Office.

Those to close are: Clint Green, Longham, North Tuddenham, a 15 hour per week service which will stop on August 8, and Tittleshall, a two morning per week village hall service, which will close on August 4.

Others are: Great Walsingham, Holkham, Wells Road, Fakenham, Barney, near Fakenham, which had already closed some six months ago.