A national fund launched by the Post Office to assist anyone wanting to revive a local post office in a village where the facility has been lost is being supported by the Liberal Democrat's prospective Parliamentary candidate for Westmorland and Lonsdale, Tim Farron.

The fund could provide one-off grants of £20,000 and money could also be provided to help those currently running a post office struggling under the threat of closure.

"I want to encourage people to make use of this fund so that local

communities that have lost their post office can have it returned," he said.