The decision, which was announced yesterday, comes at the end of a six-week public consultation by Post Office Ltd after Hall Street was named as one of 26 branches in Cambridgeshire facing the threat of closure.

Sub-post master Saj Munir, who runs Soham Shopper and Post Office, said he was devastated by the decision.

"I was hoping it might be saved and was trying to do what I could," he said.

"Everyone did quite a lot to try to save it but it is over now and my hands are tied unfortunately. It looks like it is going to close on October 16.

"I have been making my customers aware that it is official and they have been upset by it. I think more than anything it will affect the pensioners the most."

Mr Munir, who has run the branch for seven years, said it was too early to tell if the closure would affect his shop.

"The shop will remain in business for a while and we will look at it in a year's time," he added.

When the proposed hit-list was announced in July, customers, councillors and East Cambridgeshire MP Jim Paice vowed to fight the decision.

They immediately threw their weight behind a campaign to save Hall Street by writing to post office bosses and signing a petition launched by Mr Munir, which collected around 400 signatures.

Soham district councillor James Palmer said he was very disappointed with the news.

"It is where all the development in Soham has been over the last 20 years," he said.

"A lot of elderly people who live near Hall Street use it regularly and they will not be able to use it as a facility anymore.

"I just really hope the people in the town still use the shop."

MP Jim Paice echoed these views and called it a "short-sighted decision" which would have a detrimental impact on customers who cannot easily access the High Street branch.

"It will also create problems in the longer term, as no account appears to have been taken of the town's growth, which will only increase demand for post office services," he said.