The manager of the Gloucester Road post office in South Kensington post office fears for his customers after finding out the branch is set to close.

Aquil Khan, who has run the Gloucester Road post office for a decade, was devastated when he heard services would be stopped in just four months.

The agency which runs post office services at the branch, Eurochange Plc, has decided not to renew a contract to keep the branch open beyond the end of June.

Mr Khan said: "I just love this place because we know most of our customers by name. It's like a family over here.

"It will not be good for customers if this branch closes because they'll have to travel about half a mile to another post office. That's not easy for some of our older customers.

"It seems to be all about money at the end of the day. If the company isn't making enough money, it doesn't make sense of keep the post office open."

The news has touched the west London community.

Zekria Ibrahimi of Mackenzie Close, Shepherd's Bush, said: "Without post offices, the character of a community degrades.

"All the friendly efficiency of this Gloucester Road branch has been negated and sacrificed. South Kensington has suffered many such losses, for example the old post office in the Science Museum no longer exists."

The proposed closure follows a mass cull of 155 London outlets last year. This included branches in Stratford Road, Kensington, and Ladbroke Grove - which prompted mass meetings from concerned residents, including Malcolm Rifkind MP and Tony Benn, in Kensington Town Hall.

Branches also shut in Hammersmith and Fulham and Westminster.

Post Office Ltd hopes to move services from the Gloucester Road post office to a shop or business in the South Kensington area.

A spokeswoman said: "The provision of a post office service to our customers in the local community is important to us and we will continue to work hard to maintain them."

A Eurochange Plc spokesman declined to comment.

Anyone interested in taking on post office services in the South Kensington area can contact the Post Office Ltd agency recruitment team on 0845 601 6260.