A 91-YEAR-OLD woman who has spent 46 years running a rural post office is being forced to close in the next two weeks.

But postmistress Joy Sainsbury, who runs Grimscott Post Office on the Devon and Cornwall border near Bude, North Cornwall, said she would continue running her village shop – and offering cups of tea to local residents.

Mrs Sainsbury was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2002 in recognition of her services to the community. Her post office is being closed after the national review launched by Post Office Ltd in May last year in an effort to drive down costs.

She said: "I am being closed down by the Post Office on June 4. I came here in 1963 and have been here ever since.

"The post office is part of the shop and that will stay open."

She added: "People come in for their newspapers and have cups of tea or coffee – it is a social thing."

Mrs Sainsbury admitted she was far from happy about the closure: "I am mad about it, but what can you do? They are closing so many post offices.

"It will be difficult for some of our residents, especially as buses are so infrequent. It would be much more sensible just to leave everything as it is. But it is the Post Office's decision and nothing we can do will make any difference."

Mrs Sainsbury took over the running of the post office with her late husband Graham. She is well-known in the area and over the years has helped organise the village fetes and fairs as well as undertaking church work at St Swithin's Church, Launcells.

She also served as the diocesan president for the Mothers' Union and as president of Stratton WI.

When Mrs Sainsbury was awarded her MBE medal, she was praised by the then Bishop of Truro, the Rt Rev Bill Ind.

He said at the time: "It seems to me that she is exactly the kind of person that the wider community need to recognise.

"Joy Sainsbury believes in giving herself totally to everything she does and I could not be more pleased for her."

Earlier this year, the Royal Mail admitted that one in five rural post offices had closed in the last eight years.

The decline of the network in the countryside has seen the equivalent of three branches shut every week.

The latest cost-cutting scheme has seen 140 branches axed in Devon and Cornwall over the last 12 months.