A post office in Leigh has finally been forced to close its doors after campaigners failed in their bid to keep it open.

The post office in Rectory Grove has now closed but will continue to offer services in a new location at Select in Broadway West.

Julian Ware-Lane, the councillor for Milton, was saddened by the closure and he believes it has “diminished” Leigh as a town.

He said: “The post office has been under threat since the beginning of the year.

“There have been petitions to try and stop the move.

“Now, the post office is finally shut and that is really saddening.

“Communities are often built on places like their libraries and post offices, and the removal of this diminishes a town.

“As far as I am concerned, Leigh has been diminished by losing its post office.”

The Post Office has 11,600 branches across the country and the majority of them now operate with retail partners in order to be based in town centres.

The Rectory Grove branch has suffered the same fate after public meetings and consultations held by the Post Office in May and June.

Marches were held to campaign against the closure and events were held across the summer in support.

The groups begun campaigning in February, hosting demonstrations outside the branch in all weather.

The campaign was also backed by Sir David Amess, MP for Southend West, who met with members of the Communication Workers Union in March so that he could begin to aid the campaign.

Almost 250 residents also signed a petition in order to keep the post office based at Rectory Grove rather than it moving to a franchisee.

Despite months of campaigning from the “Save Leigh Post Office” group, they failed and Mr Ware-Lane said: “It is a big loss to the community and it is a sad day for all those who battled to keep it open.

“The post office branches are a trusted institution.

“Residents having to go to the back of another store to send letters, parcels, and to put in their passport applications just will not feel right. I am not demeaning it but when you go to the post office for those reasons, you want the service to be just for that.”

The new post office is said to be now open.