A question mark hangs over the future of Pembrokeshire's rural post office network after a double blow to its potential sources of income.

On Friday, sub postmasters including Alison Bennett, of the Mount Post Office, Milford Haven, were told that the BBC intended to replace the post office as its supplier for a range of television licensing services.

More than 300,000 people in rural areas are thought to purchase their television licences at post offices. Over-the-counter sales of these licences account for 2.1% of their income.

The BBC announcement comes just weeks after the Government revealed it planned to withdraw the Post Office Account Card for benefit payment.

This is potentially more damaging to the Mount Post Office because of the high number of benefit claimants living on the Mount Estate.

Steve Bennett, who runs a Londis store alongside his wife's post office franchise, believed it would have a major impact on their business.

"It will mean a substantial loss of income," he said.

"The shop and the post office feed off each other. If fewer people come in to use the post office then it is inevitable that we will do less business in the shop."

It is not just the sub postmasters who could lose out, but customers too.

In remote villages like St Ishmaels, villagers who don't want to make the journey to Milford Haven rely on the local shop and the post office for a range of goods and services.

Brian and Elaine Jeffries have seen a gradual erosion of services available through the post office since they started running the business 40 years ago.

This latest blow is one too many, said Mrs Jeffries.

"We couldn't survive on the income from the shop alone," she said. The BBC believes its new six-year contract with PayPoint will save it £100million.