THE long-time sub-postmistress of the award-winning Cross Hills post office is stepping down.

Fifty-three-year-old Sharon Latta is moving into a new role after working in the Royal Mail's office on Prospect Street for the past 31 years, 16 of which she served as sub-postmistress.

"I will really miss it," said Sharon. "The work is really rewarding because you're helping somebody out. The customers are like my extended family."

Sharon, who is very-proactive and good at selling post office products, will now work in other post offices across West Yorkshire two days a week training and coaching other sub-postmasters, sub-postmistresses and workers.

"I've really enjoyed my time working here as sub-postmistress, but at the same time I'm looking forward to a new challenge and spending time with my husband, Jack."

After she finished school, Sharon started out working across the road at Barclays.

But then her parents, Edward and Muriel Gee, bought the post office on Prospect Street and she began working for them.

Her dad was sub-postmaster 15 years before his retirement.

Sharon took over as sub-postmistress in 1998, and during her time the Cross Hills post office won several awards, including Best Post Office in the Community for West Yorkshire (1998), Top Post Office in the North East Region (1998/99) and Best Regional and National Post Office for product sales (2005).

"It's full on, you've always got a job to do," said Sharon. "I hope working a couple of days a week will help me ease into relaxing because I don't know how to do that.

"I was quite poorly last year," she said. "When you've got your own business you can't rest."

Sharon said lack of rest was one of the things that prompted her to make a career change and to ask that the post office be re-located in the community.

Dal Kaur will be the next Cross Hills sub-postmistress when it officially opens at the Spar, on Main Street, at 1pm next Friday, September 26.