The Fettiplace Road branch in Witney, Oxfordshire, will shut even though locals campaigned against the move.

The sub-post office is owned by Tesco, along with Cogges Hill, which is also under threat. The store said it needed "extra space to display its goods".

Cllr Louise Chapman, who is seeking a meeting with post office chiefs, has described the move as "unacceptable".

'Raw emotion'

She has been at the forefront of a campaign to retain both post offices and has been in talks with both Royal Mail and Tesco.

Cllr Chapman said: "This announcement is unacceptable.

"The decision goes against local public opinion. We are urging them to reconsider."

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "The decision has been made and all the proper procedures have been followed.

"We have to balance the raw emotion around 'your' local post offices with the very real financial situation we have found ourselves in, which is suffering huge losses due to subsidising non-viable post offices."