RADCLIFFE Hall Post Office closed its doors for the final time on Saturday (May 22)-- with the stamp of disapproval from its regular customers.

Neighbours spoke of their sadness at the closure and said that it felt like they were losing part of the community.

Elaine Hardman (60), who runs Elaine's hairdressing salon in Cross Lane, said: "Everybody has said that it is going to be a void in the community when it closes. There are so many elderly people living nearby who rely on the post office. They have been told they will have to go into the town centre to use the main post office, but that is two buses away.

"People have been told to use the post office at Dumers Lane and the one at Stand Lane, and when that one closes it will be even more difficult."

The post office had been run by Mr Alan Crompton for about 15 years and he is now taking retirement.

Rose Archer (61), of Bury Street, who used the Cross Lane branch regularly, came out of the post office for the final time in tears. She said: "It's so sad. Alan is such a nice person, even if he has a queue a mile long. He is lovely to everybody."

Ethel Longworth (81), of North Street, added: "If you get a bus into the centre there will be longer queues at the post office. Everyone is going to miss the local post office."

Post Office chiefs announced the final decision to axe the Cross Lane post office last month, with a number of other branches across the borough to close at later dates. The announcement follows a period of consultation with post office users. Chapelfield Post Office inn Stand Lane, Radcliffe, will shut on June 15 and Danesway Post Office in Prestwich will close on June 19.

Other branches in Bury South set to close are Besses o'th' Barn, Hillock and Park Lane branches in Whitefield and the Whittaker Lane branch in Prestwich. Whitefield Post Office will not reopen.