The last of the eight condemned post offices in the borough will finally close today.

The branch in High Road, North Finchley, joins the other seven post offices which shut last month as part of the Government's cull of 2,500 branches nationwide.

Mrs Patel, who has worked in the High Road post office for 40 years, said: "This was one of the first branches in London and I have enjoyed my time here.

"The post office is a nice thing, everybody knows you like a family, but everything is going in the shop and we have to sell up."

The final closure followed the rejection last week in the High Court of a judicial review proposed by Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

The move was designed to stop the closure of the 162 branches across the city and Mr Johnson has now written to Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform John Hutton, calling on him to take immediate action to save London's post offices.

"As Mayor I was confident that we had a strong case for the review based on the fact that the original post office consultation period was far too short and that the closures disproportionately affect London," said Mr Johnson.

"I have also called on Mr Hutton to persuade the Government, as the only shareholder in the Post Office, to reconsider the current closure programme and take urgent action to save London's post offices.

"It is high time the Government acknowledged its responsibility and intervened. Post offices provide a vital local service for communities, especially the elderly and families and they must be protected."

The Childs Hill branch, in Cricklewood Lane, was the first to close on Tuesday June 17, followed by the East Finchley branch, in East End Road, and Hendon's Watford Way branch, in the same week.

Branches in Pennine Parade, Cricklewood, and Nether Street, Finchley, closed last Monday, with the post offices in Dollis Valley Way and Potters Road, Barnet, closing last Thursday.