AS staff prepare to shut up shop at Lion Green Post Office, Haslemere, on Wednesday, May 18, another branch around three miles away in Fernhurst is also being threatened with closure.

Staff will pull down the shutters at 3pm and the town will say goodbye to the four remaining staff – Linda Sanders, Ann Pitman, Stephen Moss and Louise Corking – who have remained to serve behind the counter, months after the Co-op moved out of the town last year.

In Fernhurst, the Church Road post office could close as early as September if no other premises are found.

And the village could also lose another vital facility after news that its pharmacy in the Crossfield parade may shut.

John Siebert, a trustee at Fernhurst Centre, which runs education classes for the community in Crossfield, told The Herald: “If Fernhurst were to lose both its pharmacy and post office part of our lifeline is being taken away.

“The post office has been told it is shutting as early as September.”

Mr Siebert said he believed one shop was considering taking on the trade after Post Office representatives had come to the village around two weeks ago to sound out village shops on taking on a counter within their existing businesses.

“If we lose the post office all we could get is a van twice a week for two hours selling stamps and possibly taking parcels. It all adds up to a threat to rural- or non urban- life.”

He added: “For me it more about the older people in the village and being able to walk into the village.

“There is a lot of dissension because we have a poor bus service and it raises issues of how people are going to get forms, advice, and help filling them in.

“That service was free but will be taken away if no shop takes it on.

“I am extremely worried and annoyed - but it is difficult for the Post Office to make money and they are not subsidised any more.”

The planned pharmacy closure is part of a national shake-up and people in the village can sign a petition launched nationwide to try to save the service.

“At the Fernhurst Centre, we are looking at the possibility of expanding our drop-in centre and while there is a pharmacy and post office and other shops around us, there is a reason for people to come in.

“But if these are taken away, it’s a threat to the community.”

Mr Siebert will be contacting both the Tory MP for Fernhurst, Andrew Tyrie and Haslemere MP Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, over the potential loss of the village services.

A Post Office spokesmansaid: “We have been in discussions with all of our postmasters as part of our branch modernisation programme – the biggest in the history of the Post Office.

“The postmaster at Fernhurst has expressed an interest to leave under this programme, subject to us finding a suitable applicant with suitable alternative premises. The vacancy has been advertised and we have visited the area to explore options.

“Any plans to relocate would be subject to six week public consultation.”

The spokesman added that the Lion Green Post Office would close “temporarily” on May 18.

“We would like to apologise for the inconvenience the temporary closure may cause. We would like to assure people we are currently investigating the options available which will enable us to reinstate a post office service to the local community."

• The nearest other branches are: 3 West Street, Haslemere – around one mile away; Grayshott, Thornton House, Crossways Road, (1.8 miles away); Hindhead Post Office, 6 Tilford Road, (2.5 miles away); Beacon Hill Road, Beacon Hill, (2.6 miles away) and Fernhurst (2.8 miles away).