The future of Burgess Hill Post Office is hanging in the balance after the new sub-postmaster pulled out days before taking over.

Bosses are in desperate talks with other potential operators to save the office, housed within the B-wise store in Church Walk.

They had been on the brink of a deal with a new sub-postmaster to run the counter permanently from next Wednesday.

But unless a replacement can found the service faces forced closure next Thursday.

A spokesman for Consignia, which runs the Post Office, said: "Despite the setback we are still committed to keeping the branch open there. We haven't given up the ghost."

The spokesman said he could not reveal why the appointee pulled out, but added: "The decision was entirely out of our control.

"We are talking to one of the original applicants interested in the role of permanent sub-postmaster.

"They may still want to take that up and we are still waiting to hear from them.

"In case they are not able to take it up we are trying to identify, as a matter of urgency, someone who can run it on a temporary basis until we can find a long-term solution.

"Our commitment is to keep on existing members of staff who want to stay in Burgess Hill."

The Post Office was originally due to close on Friday when the franchise with the former site owner, the Co-op, ran out.

The Co-op closed last Christmas but agreed to continue running the Post Office until it was no longer contractually obliged to pay the staff.

B-wise took over the site in June but announced it would not run the Post Office.

The spokesman said: "We are pulling out all the stops as a matter of priority. We are still hoping to be able to make a positive announcement before the deadline of next Thursday."

But Burgess Hill Town Council chairman John Merrill, who spearheaded a 5,291-signature petition calling for the post office to be saved, said: "I am speechless. I'm a bit lost for words.

"The last thing I heard it was all sorted and going through and now, at the 11th hour, it has all fallen through again.

"I cannot believe how poorly organised the Post Office has been over this. They've had 12 months to get something organised and now we are a week away from it closing."

He added: "It's pension day next Thursday. They've got to get their act together and get it sorted."

Mid Sussex District Councillor and town councillor Anne Jones said she was disappointed Consignia had not yet managed to find a solution.

She said: "Burgess Hill can't be left without a main post office. I think it is very disturbing that such an important issue for the town has been allowed to get into this state."