HAY-ON-WYE’S postmaster has retired after 34 years, with the Post Office still mulling over its options of what to do next.

The closure of the post office comes after all banks shut their doors in the border town, but postmaster Steve Like, 70, had tried for five years to find a buyer.

The Post Office had been in the Like family for more than 60 years when the doors shut for the final time on Thursday (June 17).

His father Horace became postmaster at Hay-on-Wye in 1961, but his mother Millicent took over in 1964 after her husband died.

In 1967, aged just 16, Mr Like began working for his mother before becoming postmaster on September 27, 1986. In total, Mr Like worked at the branch in some capacity for 53 years.

Area manager Ryan Leonard said he was extremely grateful for Mr Like’s commitment to the community, and wished him all the best for retirement.

Mr Like previously had stints as a town councillor, working for the local chamber of commerce, Warren, and helped set up the local tourist information centre.

He said he’d been touched by more than 800 messages of support since announcing his retirement, but thanked his partner Pam and children Jackie and Douglas for their support.

The Post Office said a mobile branch would be in the car park of Hay Cinema Bookshop, in Castle Street, until a permanent solution was found. It said the opening hours would be 3.45pm until 5pm on Tuesdays, and 9.30am until 11am on Fridays.

Some banks also operate mobile services in Hay-on-Wye, but often, when branch closures are announced, customers are directed towards post office branches where transactions can be made.

But this will now only be possible in the mobile post office two days a week.