Tory councillors Alyas Ahmed, Keith Strangwood, Martin Weir and Ann Bonner have all spoken out against the closures of Orchard Way and Grimsbury post offices.

Mr Strangwood said: "This is just a cancer which started in the villages with the leafy post offices when people did not care.

"Now it's spreading in to the town and people are noticing. It's down to the government."

Speaking about the Orchard Way area he said: "Because this area is being redeveloped it gave people a tiny straw to grab on to."

And he added that there should be the option to have another post office in Orchard Way if it is proven between now and when the development is finished that it is being missed.

Mr Ahmed said he couldn't believe the decision had been made in the face of massive opposition to the plans.

"We got thousands of signiatures on a petition and I myself took that to Downing Street," he said.

"After the consultation period we hoped and prayed for the residents and vulnerable members of the community that everything would be ok.

"For those elderly and disabled people who do not drive, this was within walking distance."

Mr Weir echoed Mr Ahmed's views.

"This is a busy post office which justifies keeping it open," he said.

"Numerous people use this daily and are always queuing out of the door.

"These are not just post offices, these are places where people can meet others and enjoy community spirit.

"This is national politics not local but it does have an effect at local level and we won't give up on it and we will fight to keep it open."

Mrs Bonner added her voice to the protests and said she was particularly disappointed as supporters of the town's post offices had spent time composing a factual response objecting to the closures after launching a petition which collected 5,000 names.

She said: "I'm absolutely devastated by the decision to close Middleton Road post office. It will be catastrophic for the elderly, disabled and young mothers who use the post office.

"I'm personally very, very disappointed because we had got into action pretty quickly to get a petition going and we got 5,000 names for Grimsbury.

"I was hopeful we might have done the trick but there are elderly people who will now have to walk more than a mile to the post office in High Street.

"Although I know another post office in North Oxfordshire would have to close to compensate, my concern was for Grimsbury, a profitable post office not an ailing one.

"It really came as a blow and I think the consultation period was a sham. Despite our best efforts it is going to cause untold problems- has anyone thought how the elderly people will cope?"