SUMMERSEAT Post Office will close on Wednesday as postmaster George Perry retires after 30 years of serving the community.

George (65) began working at the rural office and newsagents, based in India Street, in 1975 and has been postmaster for the last 14 years.

His retirement means that villagers will have to travel to Holcombe Brook or Walmersley for their nearest post office, as a replacement postmaster has not been found.

George said: "I am absolutely gutted it is happening the way it is but the maximum price is wanted for the property. The price of property in Summerseat is at a record high which puts the price of buying a business beyond capability and we're not doing enough business to keep up. No one can afford to buy it simply because it is too expensive."

George, who lives with wife Betty, plans to spend his retirement indulging in his favourite pastimes of fishing and travelling around the country in a camper van, but admits he will miss his customers and described it as the "best job in my life.

He explained: "I can't have worked here for 30 years and not known what my customers want and I am going to miss that."

The announcement of the imminent closure came just two weeks after it was revealed Bury's main post office was also to close until alternative premises were found.

George described the national closures as "panic measures" taken by the Post Office: "It is a knee-jerk reaction. They had to do something to put the organisation on a sound financial footing. Something had to be done, no question about that, but I think a lot of panic measures are being taken."

George, who has one son and three grandchildren, said: "I would like to thank my customers past and present for all their support."

While the post office is closed, residents in the Summerseat area are advised to use Holcombe Brook Post Office on Longsight Road or Walmersley Post Office on Walmersley Road.

Meanwhile, residents have reacted to the closure with a mixture of anger and sadness.

Rene Graham (80), of Plantation View, has lived in Summerseat all her life and admitted she will be sad to see the post office close: "I have been coming here all my life and Im used to having a post office close by, but one has to be philosophical and accept what life throws at you and just see what transpires."

However, Margaret Fletcher (48), of The Spinnings, said: "I think it is disgusting after it has been here all these years. What are people going to do? A lot of elderly people live around here who, as far as Im concerned, are not going to walk up the hill to another post office. George made a lot of friends around here and it will be sad to see him go."

Living just two streets away from the post office and newsagent has meant that Fiona Martinez, of Holly Street, has been able to pop into the office with her five-month-old son Laurence to pick up a few essentials, saving a trip into town.

Fiona (31) said: "It's a shame, the post office is part of our little community and handy to pop in for little bits. George was always very nice and looked after everybody. A lot of people came from further afield, not just Summerseat, as they like to walk through the village for their newspapers and to see George."

Neighbour James Marshall, of Holly Street, added: "I have been coming here for many years since it opened and I will be sad to see it go. I am now going to have to go to Holcombe Brook and Im going to miss coming in for my papers."

Councillor Dorothy Gunther, who lives locally, vowed that the search for a new post office was not over despite suggestions of alternative premises at the Waterside pub and Summerseat Garden Centre proving fruitless.

She said: "The only other option that could possibly be open is at Summerseat's new Methodist Church.

"The closure of this post office is certainly going to cause upset."