Killamarsh Post Office to close after postmaster steps down after 29 years in village near Sheffield

A village post office near Sheffield is set to close, after the postmaster announced he is leaving after nearly 30 years.

Killamarsh Post Office, on Bridge Street, will shut its doors for the last time on April 6, bringing to an end 29 years at the site for Lawrence Barlow.

It is expected to mean the end of the building as a post office, with bosses at The Post Office planning a review of services in the village.

Mr Barlow has been a familiar face to residents using the post office in the village for a generation, but says he is having to leave because he is now struggling to make enough money to keep it running because of changes to the way services are now run.

He said: "I can't carry on working for nothing. We have done what we can for as long as we can. We've been here for 29 years and it's been a big part of my life.

"But things have changed. There are a lot of things that we used to do that have moved online, and there are products that have moved away from post offices. Habits have changed.

"It is not an easy decision after 29 years, and our situation has nothing to do with what's been on television recently."

He said he would be looking for a new job.

Mr Barlow has been running the village post office since June 1995.

He added: "For most of the time it has been great here. I've loved engaging with the customers and I've been lucky to have such a good customer base."

However, residents are now raising concerns over the future of postal services in the village after Mr Barlow leaves.

The Post Office has paid tribute to Mr Barlow for his long service, but said it was reviewing its provision in the area.

It said in a statement: "We have recently received a resignation from the postmaster for Killamarsh, which is due to take effect in April.

"We thank the postmaster for his long service to this community. We are currently reviewing Post Office provision in the area."

Killamarsh's North East Derbyshire ward councillors are planning talks with bosses to try to secure a post office for the village.

Coun Stephen Clough said there were concerns about the closure of the Bridge Street post office.

He said: "Killamarsh Post Office is highly respected and used in the community, and to lose it would be a great loss to the village."

"We've contacted the MP, Lee Bromley, to have a meeting with him to see if he can do anything, or if we can do anything. I would hope we could have a campaign.

"We are losing more and more from our high street in Killamarsh. There will be no banking in the village if the Post Office goes."

Coun Tony Lacey added: "The feeling in the village is one of shock and disappointment that we could lose the post office. There are a lot of elderly residents who pay their rent there."

He said he knew there were businesses locally that uses it too. He said the next closest place for such services would be Crystal Peaks.