The village of Ingham has lost its post office, with the doors of the branch closing for the final time on Friday due to “unforeseen circumstances”. 

Residents of the village have been told that they will now need to make a 20-minute journey to the nearest post office.

The news comes after the branch in The Street in Ingham, around five miles outside Bury St Edmunds town centre, closed its doors on Friday afternoon. 

Owner Chrissie Knight has been running the post office and attached shop for the past four and a half years. She said she was sad to see the store close, but that the business was no longer financially viable. 

She added that since the construction of nearby greenhouses was completed, she has seen a drop off in customers, as fewer tradespeople have been visiting the store. 

A post on Facebook published on Thursday afternoon announcing the  closure of the branch received 46 reactions and has been shared 10 times. 

A spokesperson for the Post Office said: “Ingham Post Office has closed due to unforeseen circumstances.  

“We apologise to customers who will be inconvenienced by this. Customers should use Lake Avenue Post Office in Bury St Edmunds, which is open long hours between Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm, and is open on Saturday mornings.  

“Lake Avenue is accessible by bus, but we recognise that this will involve a 20-minute bus ride for some local residents.” 

Other nearby Post office branches in Bury St Edmunds can be found on the Cornhill, Out Westgate and in Glastonbury Road.