ABERYSTWYTH Post Office has finally closed and moved from its site at a historic Great Darkgate Street building despite vehement opposition to the plans.

Campaigners and protesters gathered on Wednesday for a “last hurrah” for the post office before it was moved into the WHSmith store on Terrace Road.

Dozens joined the event and parade on Wednesday afternoon, many of whom had organised ultimately futile pickets of WHSmith and petitions against the move.

The consultation into the plans, which saw a public meeting with Post Office officials rail against the proposals, was labelled a “sham” after the company decided to press ahead with the move despite a 3,000 signature petition and hundreds of negative responses.

The Post Office said the move would “safeguard services” in the town and provide longer opening hours.

The day before the closure, Mark Williams MP criticised the Post Office for its consultation process and for “failing rural areas” in a debate in Parliament.

Mr Williams raised the situation of the closure of the Aberystwyth Crown Post Office and its relocation to a franchisee despite “major opposition” from the local community.

“The current system is absolutely shambolic,” he told MPs.

“In Aberystwyth we have recently gone through a consultation process which has seen absolutely no shift in the position of Post Office management over the closure and relocation of the branch throughout the entire consultation period."

See this week’s south editions for the full story, in shops and online on Wednesday