The subpostmaster in Mattishall is hoping for a stay of execution for his post office after officials visited the village to see if they could move the service into a retail outlet.

Tony Blackman, who has been subpostmaster at Mattishall for 13 years and a postal worker for 38, said the move was unnecessary and would make him and his wife Marie redundant.

'As far as I understand they would pay a retailer on commission for the business they do through the post office whereas I get a core salary plus extra from any transactions I do,' he said.

'It is a way of trying to save money but it would be detrimental to the service because they would not be allowed to do the range of transactions that I can.

'A good 99.9pc of our business is post office with a few confectionary and card sales but I have deliberately not sold as much as a tin of beans so as not to tread on anyone else's toes in Mattishall.

'It is a busy office and having all these customers in another shop alongside their tills would create bedlam.'

He said many of his customers were elderly who did not have access to the internet and needed the post office for services such as buying car tax which would not be available in a retail outlet.

'They would all have to go in to Dereham which would be very difficult for many of them and take people away from the other shops in Mattishall,' he said.

'As far as I know none of the other shops want to take it on so hopefully they will leave us alone. I don't need a retail business to make it work as I have five outreach services that I run in other villages as well. Hopefully we will get community office status and we will be quite happy if they leave us alone.'

A Post Office spokesman said the best way to ensure branches were commercially sustainable was to be part of a thriving retail business.

'If a postmaster wants to remain at their branch, and where they have a vibrant retail business or suitable plans to develop one, we will support them to develop their business and convert to the local model.

'Where this isn't possible we will look for opportunities to relocate the branch to a suitable retailer nearby. Any relocation would be subject to a public consultation.

'Customers should be assured that the Post Office is committed to maintaining a service in Mattishall.'