ANGRY sub-postmasters hit back at plans to close their businesses next spring, as town and parish councils set about studying the impact on their communities.

At Norton's Church Street office, which has been in business for 75 years, Mrs Patricia Hands said: "I'm gutted. I supported the Post Office after the Norton floods by investing, at their request, £35,000 to give the post office area a new look. A ramp was built to make it customer friendly for the disabled, and the whole public area was revamped.

"The insurance company would only pay for the office to be reinstated as it was before the floods but the Post Office persuaded us to invest our money into upgrading its whole image. Now I don't know what I am going to do. I feel badly let down."

It was a similar story at the beauty spot of Hawnby where Sonia and Darren Leeming took over and built up the post office and general store by adding a tea-room for walkers and tourists to the area.

"We moved to Hawnby from Leeds to give ourselves and our two small boys a better quality of life," said Darren.

But within two years of taking over the business in the mid-18th century cottage home-cum business, back they were victims of the foot and mouth disease outbreak which stopped the tourist trade in its tracks.

"We were only just recovering from that when we hit by the horrific floods which caused so much devastation in Hawnby," said Darren.

"Now we have been landed a third massive blow with the closure decision. The post office provides about 50 per cent of our income and without it I just can't see the village shop and tea rooms being viable. It's a real kick in the teeth."

His anger turned to disbelief when just two days before receiving the letter saying their office was to close, the Post Office sent in engineers to install broadband facilities.

"In view of what is now on the cards, it was a complete waste of time and money," he said.

He added that when Hawnby was hit by the June 2005 floods, they installed a generator to enable them to still provide a post office service - "and this is how we have been repaid".

Hawnby's post office has existed for well over a century and is one of the oldest in the country.

Unless an alternative service is provided, villagers face having to go to post offices at Helmsley, Thirsk or Kepwick - a remote village which, says Darren, is only accessible in places by tractor or a substantial four-by-four vehicle.

Farmer Barry Nicholson, clerk to the parish council, said: "If the closure goes ahead it will certainly hit the farming community in this area. Many farmers have to send official documents recorded delivery and it is ideal to use Hawnby Post Office rather than making a 13-mile round trip to Helmsley and face long queues as well as having to pay £1 to park."

Parish councillor Dave Young and his wife Kathryn who run the nearby Inn at Hawnby said the Leemings had been great stalwarts of the village community. "They have worked really hard to build up their business. The village is stunned by this news. Darren and Sonia have not only tried hard with their business but been real assets to the village, being involved in organising events - they really get things done."

Ian and Kate Hughes, who have run the Terrington Stores and Post Office for 16 years said they were "bitterly disappointed" at the threat of closure.

"Following the robbery we suffered in July this year we made the difficult decision that we wouldn't allow those responsible to drive us out business. It now feels as though the Government and Post Office Ltd are succeeding where the criminals failed," said the couple.

Mr Hughes added: "For years the Government has bled the post office dry in profitable years, while continuously eroding the services that we can provide until they have made us unprofitable.

"We will get compensation following the closure of our post office, but it is a fact that around 90 per cent of village shops that lose their sub office, the remaining shop fails. We have now got to take some serious and difficult decisions over the next few weeks and will need the support of our village and surrounding villages to help us make them."

At Weaverthorpe Post Office, which has been run by Mrs Anne Marie Clarke as sub-postmaster since 1998, husband, Peter said: "The Government has taken so much away from post offices in the last two years such as paying pensions into banks. Business here is only 20 per cent of what it was.

"We have made plans to go to Canada next year so we were selling the business. We had people interested in buying the business but without the post office no-one will be interested. The post office may not be the hub of the community it once was, but it is still vital service."

He said the nearest post office will be at a part-time office at Kirby Grindalythe.

Mr Clarke said an ATM had been installed at the Weaverthorpe office, and his wife had built up the business by keeping prices in the shop down, and selling such things as newspapers.

"All that will go if the post office closes," he added.