The Post Office has confirmed it will be axing 115 branches and hundreds of jobs in a major News Today blow to Britain's struggling high street.
The embattled postal giant said a significant number of jobs from its 1,000-strong head office staff were now at risk.
And 115 major city centre Crown Post Offices will be scrapped, in a move that critics fear could leave pensioners and the vulnerable isolated.
The news was broken by Post Office chairman Nigel Railton shortly after 9am today during a meeting with staff.
However, some furious front-line postal workers have told MailOnline they were left in the dark about the news, and claimed 'no announcement' had been made, in a move that was 'extremely upsetting' for staff.
The struggling firm is looking to offload the 115 most unprofitable sites from its 11,500-strong network.
The shake-up could see the branches transferred to retail partners or postmasters or shut for good.
How will Post Office closures affect YOU? Email tom.cotterill@mailonline.co.uk
Pictured is a map showing where all the Post Offices now under threat of closure are based
The radical overhaul is part of the Post Office's drive to transition to a fully franchised model - similar to how fast-food giant McDonald's operates.
The model sees a company giving permission to individuals or groups to run the business, using its brand and News Today products in exchange for a fee.
Almost all of the nation's Post Office branches are now run as a franchise, with just one per cent directly overseen by the company.