Cromford residents have formed an action group in a bid to raise around £250,000 needed to buy the building which is home to their village post office.

The building, on Scarthin, is to be sold at auction but residents hope community action will save it and have mounted a rescue appeal.

The post office serves over 3,000 people and is due to close on February 8.

Postmistress of four years Carol Easton said: "People are very upset about the closure. We have a large community of older people that would find it very difficult to get to Matlock and Wirksworth to get their pensions, especially with the weather we have just had.

"For a sub-post office we are very busy as there are a lot of businesses around us that support us and use us all the time."

Villagers from Bonsall and Matlock Bath also use the service as their post offices closed in 2008.

Matlock Bath closed when the postmistress retired.

Bonsall was one of the 2,500 post offices which closed after a government review and national consultation.

On Monday, a packed meeting in the Boat Inn, in Cromford, saw the Save Our Post Office group launched.

Another meeting is taking place on Friday, January 22, at the Methodist Church, on Water Lane, in Cromford, to discuss plans to form a buy-out company using money donated by residents.

Nic Barfield, of Cromford, said: "It would be a great shame if we lost it as there has been a post office in the village since Victorian times."

A spokeswoman for Royal Mail said they hoped another shop in the village could take over the Post Office service and urged anyone interested to contact their agency team on 0845 601 6260.

But Mr Barfield feared a takeover might not happen or it could mean a reduced service.

He added: "We are going to take direct action and will try and buy the building and gain a new lease so the post office can continue in the building. We hope people will support us with their cheque books."

Carol Easton said: "I'm pleasantly surprised by how many people are prepared to come forward and say we want to help. It just shows how close knit our community is and how important this is to our village."

Friday's meeting will start at 7.30pm.