MPs have praised the innovative ideas which helped keep a village post office viable and open.

Customers at Shaldon can use an internet computer for a small fee, and also draw money from a cash machine, which encourages them to spend in the village.

The money for the computer and a third of the cost of the ATM came from community fund of local county councillor David Cox, and enabled the postmaster, Glynn Ballman, to make his brainwaves a reality.

The all-party parliamentary business and enterprise select committee visited Devon to find out how the county council dealt with the closures of post offices, and helped to save 15 from the axe.

MP Mike Clapham was enthusiastic about the Shaldon scheme, and said the regional development agency should consider buying computers to enable other post offices to follow the example.

Cllr Cox also pleaded for the Post Office to be less rigid where communities wanted to continue with their branches in some way.

He told the MPs about the Stokeinteignhead postmaster who was prepared to do an outreach service, but the only model favoured by the managers was one costing £22,000, which was uneconomic.

'He could offer a service more cheaply than that, but the system would not allow it.

'But since the meeting with the MPs, the Post Office has agreed to look and see if they can make the Stokeinteinghead outreach scheme work,' Cllr Cox added.