The Salisbury Road outlet has been earmarked for closure under national plans to pull in the reins on the cash-haemorrhaging Post Office company.

It means the 18,000 residents of Maltby will be served by just two branches - both situated on the same through-road.

"Maltby is a growing place, with more and more people coming in," said Diane Mason, who has been postmistress on Salisbury Road for 20 years.

"And there's going to be more new houses built on Braithwell Road and Newlands Avenue."

"We're very busy as it is, and we get loads of eBay items to do. We're situated on a main road, and many people say they prefer the service here to that at the supermarket."

"It's the customers that I feel for, not me. I'm 62 next so finishing work is not a problem for me, I'll find other things to do. It's a problem for the area."

Diane has three staff, and husband Robert also lends a hand. She said they were all disappointed at the news, but said it did not come completely out of the blue.

"It wasn't a total shock because when they made the announcement, it was clear that they didn't want post offices to be within one mile of each other. We are only half a mile, so they say, from the Co-op branch."

"They are not doing it in a sensible way, but rather on geography. The lady who runs the Post Office at Braithwell is bored half the time and being kept open."

Pat Drake, chairman of the Little London Tenants and Residents' Association, said residents should make their voices heard during the seven-week consultation period.

"It must not close, to even suggest that it should is ludicrous," she said.

"There are old people and single parents who need to get their benefits through the post office. There's no point directing them to the banks because many of them don't have bank accounts."

"The nearest one would be inside the Co-op on the High Street, which would be a terrible inconvenience."

"We are losing all of our amenities and then people wonder why society is so fragmented with anti-social behaviour."

Acting town council clerk Susan Bailey, said long-serving postmistress Diane was 'seen as everyone's friend' in Maltby, and said the place had a community feel and offered the personal touch.

"This is a valuable asset for a wide area of Maltby," said 39-year-old carer Kathryn Aspbury, of Salisbury Road.

"I use it practically every day, and not just for sending mail. It's easily accessed and on a main bus route through the town."

"It would be a real shame for all the people in this area if it was to close. I just hope that it won't be replaced by another takeaway."

The Post Office network lost more than £200million in 2006/07, and there are four million fewer customer visits compared with two years ago.

Following on from this, the Government announced that 2,500 branches would be lost nationally.