And the hitlist – which was leaked to the Courier ahead of the official announcement tomorrow – features three more branches than expected.

It was thought eight post offices across the borough were to be shut in the latest round of cuts, which are part of the Network Change programme announced last year, but 11 have been chosen.

The doomed post offices are: Bell Hall, Savile Park Road, Halifax; Holmfield Shay Lane, Halifax; Scar Bottom Sub Post Office, Calder Avenue, Pye Nest, Halifax; Shelf, Carr House Road; Greetland, Saddleworth Road; Lightcliffe, Wakefield Road; Midgley; Stainland; Hove Edge, Halifax Road, Brighouse; Portsmouth, Burnley Road, Todmorden and Shade, Rochdale Road, Todmorden.
Others could be designated outreach offices, giving a reduced service sometimes from a mobile office. It is thought this will affect five other post offices which means Calderdale's 43 post offices will become 32.

This weekend residents in Shelf were outraged. Ninety-three-year-old Benson Renton, of Shelf, said: "It is awful, ridiculous. There are so many older people in this area that depend on that post office."

Lynn Issott, of Shelf, said: "We use it a lot for my husband's business so it will inconvenience me. I'm here two or three times a week and whenever I come it's busy, so I'm surprised."

David Sheard, owner of Shelf Hall Bakery, was equally astounded.

"It is always busy. I would think everybody in the village uses it. We used to have a butchers, a greengrocers but slowly over the years they have all gone so it will be sad for the village if the post office goes too."

Customer Gayle Dion, 52, said: "I think closing the post office would be detrimental to the area. Older people won't be able to walk to the next post office, it's a bus or car ride."

In Lightcliffe, people were equally shocked. Martin Dance, 48, of Lightcliffe, said: "It is terrible. We need it, it is a busy community. It is extremely well used so I'm very shocked."

Following tomorrow's announcement – the first in a renewed wave of closure plans – residents, councils and businesses will have six weeks in which to object.

Calderdale councillors vowed to fight the closuresbut Shadow Post Office Minister Charles Hendry has warned protests are unlikely to sway Post Office chiefs and in the past, few decisions have been overturned. In 2005 the community campaigned unsuccessfully against the closure of Siddal Post Office.

Across the country 2,500 closures are planned, with bosses blaming rising losses and decline in customers.

A spokeswoman for the Post Office said fewer people are using branches because services are available through other means.

"We are seeking to implement these changes as sensitively as possible. To make sure views of local people are heard, there will be a local consultation process before the final decision."

Post offices must close - minister