COUNCILLORS and politicians said Labour MPs should be "ashamed" after they failed to oppose the Government on the latest round of Post Office closures.

In East Lancashire, 24 branches face the axe as the Government tries to stave off losses of £4m-a-week on the Post Office network.

In the House of Commons yesterday the Conservatives called for the closures to be suspended and put the issue to a vote as part of an Opposition Day debate.

The vote to suspend closures was defeated by 268 to 288, with Pendle's Gordon Prentice being one of 19 Labour MPs rebelling against the Government.

Despite recently opposing some of the closures within their constituencies, Labour MPs such as Blackburn's Jack Straw, Darwen and Rossendale's Janet Anderson and Greg Pope, Hyndburn, all towed the Government line and voted against the proposal.

Burnley's Kitty Ussher abstained from voting.

The Labour MPs who voted with the Government have been slammed by opposition MPs and even Labour councillors.

Nigel Evans, Conservative MP for Ribble Valley, voted for suspension of the closures.

He said: "They should be ashamed of themselves.

"They have been taking photo opportunities and saying they want to save their local branches, yet they had the opportunity to do something on Wednesday and they didn't.

"Jack Straw posed for photos with local residents and it is his Government introducing this closure programme.

"I pay tribute to Gordon Prentice for his actions.

"It's a shame others did not do the same."

Burnley council leader Gordon Birtwistle, who has campaigned against the closures in his area, was "incensed" by the actions of the Labour MPs.

He said: "They are all hypocrites. They are putting the party line before the people."

Leader of the opposition on Hynburn Council, Labour's Graham Jones, said he was disgusted with his own party.

He said: "Labour MPs in Westminster have voted consistently for policies to close post offices and are then photographed outside them protesting about the closures. It's a total embarrassment." Coun Jones also slammed the Conservatives. He said: "David Cameron's own MP's who voted in Government for similar policies are playing petty politics in opposition. No wonder the number of people voting at elections is declining."

The Lancashire Telegraph has run a campaign to save the post offices, and collected signatures which have been handed to the Post Office.