FOR more than half her life, Joy Sainsbury has played a vital role as the postmistress in Grimscott, a sleepy village on the border between Cornwall and Devon.

The 91-year-old has been responsible for running the village post office since 1963, when she and late husband Graham took over and began sorting mail and processing pensions for local residents.

But yesterday, after 46 years of chatting to villagers and helping visitors, Mrs Sainsbury was forced to close the post office for the final time.

The closure decision was made last year, after a national review by the Post Office to try to cut costs.

Mrs Sainsbury said: "It has been a real disappointment. It was such a pity when I found out last year.

"It's been dragging on for the last 12 months, but we have now finally closed for good. It feels like the end of an era."

Mrs Sainsbury has pledged to continue running the village shop, which the post office was a part of, and vows to keep offering cups of tea and coffee to local customers.

Mrs Sainsbury, who was awarded an MBE in the 2002 Queens Birthday Honours List in recognition of her services to her community, said her main concern was for the villagers of Grimscott.

Many of the elderly residents who relied on the post office for collecting their pensions would now have to travel to towns such as Bude or Stratton, and there were fears that the social aspect of the post office would be hard to replace.

"The post office is important for a lot of people in the village, not just me. Many of the people who come here to pick up their pensions can't drive and will have to use public transport to get to Bude or Stratton, but the buses aren't reliable enough.

"And a lot of people just like to come in for a chat, because they know other villagers will be here. That will be lost now, but the Post Office don't care, do they?"

One former post office user, Jenny Lovick, 65, said: "The people making these decisions don't realise what life is like for people out in the country. Closing the post office will make life much more difficult for a lot of people. It's the hub of the village, a meeting place where people discuss ideas and suggestions for Grimscott. It's dreadful that it has to close."

As well as running the village shop and post office, Mrs Sainsbury has organised many of the area's fetes and fairs over the years, as well as undertaking voluntary work at St Swithin's Church, Launcells, and serving as president of the Stratton branch of the Women's Institute.

Dan Rogerson, MP for North Cornwall, paid tribute to Mrs Sainsbury and her contribution to Grimscott.

"It's a very sad end for the post office after a committed community worker like Joy kept it going for as long", he said. "The closure is unnecessary and it's a great shame because places like Grimscott are losing the last remaining services on their doorstep.

"Joy is a local celebrity, and justifiably so, because she works so hard. I'd like to thank her for all of the work she's done over the years and pay tribute to her role in the community."

The Rev David Stranden of St Swithin's Church, where Mrs Sainsbury is a volunteer, said: "Joy is absolutely brilliant, and a real pillar of the community who makes sure people are looked after and cares more about Grimscott than herself.

"The post office has been her life since 1963 and is the centre of the village community. Now villagers must feel as if its heart has gone."

Yesterday, as Mrs Sainsbury left the post office for the last time, she reflected on a career which spanned nearly 50 years.

"There have been a lot of changes and memorable moments", she said. "When I started, it was a slow process checking lots of files and stamping people's books, but now it's all been modernised.

"And although it's mostly been quiet and peaceful, we did have a burglary four years ago, when a man came in demanding money from the till.

"I told him to stop being silly, but he took £500 which I had to pay back myself."

The Post Office is to introduce a home outreach service in Grimscott.