Despite facing opposition the Post Office has confirmed it will be shutting its Arwenack Street and Bowling Green branches in Falmouth.

Throughout the six week consultation period the closures faced constant opposition from Falmouth town councillors and the prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Falmouth Julia Goldsworthy.

Falmouth council formally wrote to Post Office Ltd objecting to the idea and when they received a reply explaining the reasoning behind the closures they again voiced their disappointment.

Councillor Lorely Lloyd, who was strongly against the closures, said: "It is one of those businesses that has a social heart."

Coun Gerald Chin-Quee who described Post offices as a vital meeting place for people backed her up.

He said: "If you take that away you do not help to create communities."

However Glyn Rees, the post master of the Bowling Green branch on Marlborough Road, said: "I've been trying and trying to avoid this but people just drifted to the banks."

He said the closure had to happen because not enough people were using the post office but two years ago before the banks started winning his business things were very different.

Mrs Goldsworthy said she was extremely disappointing at the decision to shut the Post Offices and was concerned about the length of the consultation period.

She said: "The fact that this announcement has been made so soon after the end of the consultation period just goes to show that the decision to all intents and purposes had been taken in advance.

"Appeals both from the Liberal Democrats and from the general public for the consultation period to be extended were ignored," she said.

Paul Simmonds, who is in charge of the Post Office in the area, said: "We have not taken this decision lightly.

"It followed extremely detailed research into the proposals and careful consideration of the issues raised by customers and community representatives," he said.

He said Falmouth would still be well served by the remaining post office branches.

"The closures will help improve the viability of the remaining branches, providing valuable extra business and allowing them to plan for a more secure future," he said.

Arwenack Street and Bowling Green branches will close on February 28.