MP Dr Jenny Tonge has recently been advised that the Sandycombe Road post office in Kew could take up to a year to reopen.

Residents have been living without this facility since the end of last year despite a huge local campaign demanding that the branch reopen.

The retail manager of Post Office Ltd and Drew McBride, the head of area, have consistently failed to return any phone calls, Dr Tonge claims.

She said: "When a spokesman finally bothered to call my office last week, I was appalled to hear that it could take up to a year to reopen the branch.

"When I started my campaign, I was hoping that it would open its doors by Christmas 2003. The notion that it could still be closed by Christmas 2004 is nothing short of an insult to local people in Kew."

Susan Kramer, Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for Richmond Park, said: "Residents are fed up with flannelling. The current situation is totally unacceptable."

Post Office Ltd maintain that the branch has been closed since November 13 for commercial reasons which must remain confidential.

A spokesperson said: "We are doing everything we can to reopen the post office as soon as possible. We don't know exactly when this will be.

"It depends on a number of factors, including the level of applications received."