The Post Office has announced it wants to close six Croydon branches as part of its national closure programme.

Offices in Thornton Heath's Bensham Lane, Coulsdon's Chipstead Valley Road and Mitcham Road, Norwood's Central Hill and South Norwood's Selhurst are threatened with closure.

Croydon town centre's post office in the High Street was also included in a list of 174 London branches, which are likely to close.

Anita Turner, Post Office Ltd's network development manager for London said: "Taking the decision to close any Post Office branch is always very difficult and we know it will cause concern to many of our customers."

Branches at the Pond, London Road and High Street, Thornton Heath, Lion Green Road, Coulsdon, South End, central Croydon, Westow Hill, Upper Norwood and an office further down Mitcham Road are set to take up the slack left behind from the proposed closures.

Nearly 2,500 branches nationwide are being axed with only 500 being replaced by another service.

The Government has announced it will be investing £1.7billion to accommodate the closures, enhance current services and compensate the staff of closing branches.

The counci's cabinet member for regeneration, Councillor Tim Pollard, said: "We are extremely disappointed that the Post Office is going ahead with the closures.

"Some of these are in highly deprived communities where people rely on being able to walk to their local branch.

"We will do everything that we can to oppose their closure and we are calling on residents to lobby the Post Office, their local MPs and the Government minister, Pat McFadden."

Councillor Gerry Ryan blasted the decision to shorten the public consultation period to six weeks.

He said: "Post Office branches are a vital service for people in my constituency.

"The Post Office should give the full 12 weeks for this consultation to enable everyone to have their say."

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