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 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.
News of the latest round of cuts could affect cities across the UK, with branches in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast, Bangor, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Sunderland and News Today Birmingham among some set to potentially lose their Post Offices.
