STAFF at under-threat post offices across Oxfordshire could be just a month away from knowing their fate.

A six-week public consultation on the future of 22 branches listed for closure ended today and Post Office Ltd is expected to announce its decisions by mid-April.

Dharmaraj Prasad, the postmaster at Grandpont Post Office in Abingdon Road, Oxford, is waiting to see if the axe will fall on his 22-year career.

Mr Prasad, who serves 400 customers a week, said: "Post Office Ltd says after the consultation has finished within a month they will tell us what will happen and tell us about the future of the post office.

"June 1 is the earliest they can close us and they need to give us six weeks to close it down and tell all our customers where they will have to go to to get their services.

"That means they have to give us the whole of May and two weeks of April as a notice period, so we are expecting to be told in the middle of next month.

"We will be told be telephone and in writing once the decision has been finalised."

Mr Prasad, who would be compensated if his branch was forced to close, said: "The unions have said they cannot negotiate compensation until the decisions have been made, so we do not know how much we could get.

"I do not know what will happen if they choose to close me. I have a shop here and I have not made any plans - I hope they will spare me.

"If we are closing then I will get compensation, but I want to stay open."

Post Office Ltd spokesman Tom Prendergast said: "The six-week public consultation, during which we invited feedback on our proposals for Oxfordshire, has ended.

"We would like to thank everyone who took the time to contact us with their input.

"We will now take a few weeks to carefully review all of the information and comments before reaching our final decisions.

"Any closures would take place at least four weeks after a decision announcement is made."