A FUNERAL, complete with coffin, tombstone and “mourners” dressed in black, was held to mark the closure of Orford Road Post Office, Walthamstow Village.

The “wake” was held at the post office and was attended by about 75 local residents, who came along on July 19 to say goodbye to the current postmaster, Amarjit Lall, who has worked there for the last 18 months, and to the post office itself.

Paul Gasson, 52, an IT manager of Walthamstow Village, who was involved with organising the event, said: “It was quite a good morning - as good as it can be under the circumstances.

“It was a good event but obviously, we’re concerned about what happens next for the elderly and the other vulnerable residents.”

Featuring the president of the Walthamstow Village Residents’ Association dressed as an undertaker and a number of other “funereal” props, mourners bade farewell to a post office which has served the area for more than 120 years.

First opened in 1886, the post office was open for the last time on July 22 as the decision to close it was made amid funding cut backs affecting post offices across London and the UK.

Mr Gasson said: “If they have fewer locations with longer queues, it doesn’t really matter to them.

“They came up with these cuts on the basis of economic criteria rather than wider social context.”

Orford Road was one of about 160 post offices to be closed across London.