Hartlepool Mayor Stuart Drummond fears Post Office bosses ignored residents during the consultation process.




Meanwhile, campaigners who fought to save the threatened branches said they were 'devastated'.

The final decision to close Raby Estate Post Office, in Chatham Road, Elwick Road Post Office, in Elwick Road and Hart Post Office, in Hart village, was taken to cut soaring losses.

Hutton Henry Post Office, in Front Street, Hutton Henry and two offices in Billingham, the Cowpen Estate, in Cowpen Lane, and Wolviston Court, in Clifton Avenue, will also close.

In total, 37 Post Offices will close under the area plan for Cleveland, South Durham and Richmond.

Compensation will be paid to sub postmasters whose branches are set to close.

And there is no appeal for those post offices affected. They are expected to start closing from the end of June.

Mayor Drummond, said: "I am extremely disappointed. I have questions over the meaningfulness of the consultation period and how much our representations were listened to.

"We have put up arguments to show that those affected could be sustained and that they are a vital part of the community. It doesn't appear we were listened to.

"It seems at first glance that the only factor the Post Office looked at was whether other sites could deal with increased usage and it appears that it was already a done deal.

"It is a great pity it has come to this and I have grave concerns for the future of the other branches. We need to safeguard what we have for the future."

The Post Office's network development manager, Adrian Wales, said: "These are difficult decisions which have not been taken lightly. We have considered very carefully all the comments made during the public consultation.

"We believe that the plan announced today offers our customers in this area the best prospect for a sustainable network in the future, bearing in mind the Government's minimum access criteria and the other factors the Government has asked us to consider."