The Malvern branch of nationwide estate agency Your Move, which is owned by Norwich Union, is to shut by the end of December as part of a cull of poorly performing offices.

Following a strategic review of the 340-branch network, 27 offices are to be closed by the year-end, including those in Malvern, Hereford and Gloucester.

Peter Everett, marketing manager of Your Move, said: "In certain areas of the country, and Worcestershire is one of them, we have struggled in recent years."

The implications for the two staff in Malvern are unclear.

"It's difficult to say whether or not there will be redundancies," said Mr Everett. "We'll try to redeploy staff to other branches in the region."

He said there were no plans to close the firm's other offices in Worcestershire.

Customers already advertising properties with Your Move in Malvern are being advised to take their business elsewhere, although the firm will still monitor clients' properties that have already been sold.

Helen Denny, manager of the Malvern branch, said that customers had been disappointed. She added: "We're only a small office and the company is focussing on the big-hitting branches, which Malvern is not."