THOUSANDS of people could be left without easy access to a post office for up to a year after plans to close a branch in East Oxford were announced with just a few days’ notice.

Donnington Post Office, in Iffley Road, will ‘temporarily’ close tomorrow when the newsagent it is part of changes hands.

But it is understood the new proprietor of Globe News Market has been rejected in his application to run the post office, and a job advert for the role could now stay open until February 2018.

More than 200 residents have signed a petition to save the branch and Post Office has said it is committed to restore its services in the future.

Sarah Wild, from Iffley Fields Residents’ Association, said: “It’s going to disadvantage so many people - the post office serves Iffley Fields, Iffley Road and also residents in Boundary Brook and beyond Donnington Bridge.

“For thousands of people it’s the only post office within walking distance and there’s plenty of small businesses nearby that rely on it.

“There’s no good reason for it to be closed and it’s going to be so inconvenient.”

She added: “We have had no community consultation from Post Office about this and only found out on Saturday through a local councillor.”

Post Office spokeswoman Sheila Tapster said it would remain closed from Wednesday until a 'suitable applicant with suitable premises' was found and that any relocation would result in a public consultation beforehand.

The company would not comment on any applications for the role.

County councillor for the area David Williams, who told the Oxford Mail the new business owner had been turned down, said: “The most important thing is to sort it out so that the post office branch is, at worst, closed only temporarily and hopefully can be kept open continuously.

He added: “As a fall back position we have approached other small shop owners in the area to see whether they would be willing to takeover the running of the local branch.”

Donnington resident Oliver Tickell, who has been using the post office for more than 30 years, said it owed the community to keep services going.

The 58-year-old said: “It has been part of the landscape for many years - it was here even before I was - I consider myself fortunate if there isn’t a queue when I go in.

“It’s good news they say it’s only temporary but I hope it’s not just the start before a permanent closure in six months’ time - they owe the community to maintain a continuity to the service and if there’s someone who wants to run it, they should be allowed to.”

Prospective labour county council candidate for Iffley Fields, Helen Evans, said: “It’s really important to keep the branch open, particularly for those with mobility issues in the area.

"We only had five days’ notice, which is terrible.”

Post Office has advised customers to use either the Abingdon Road or Cowley Centre branches instead.