POSTMAN Clive Atkinson was delivered a surprise when he turned up for his last day at work.

He was hanging up his mail sack after 28 years of deliveries in the Kirby Misperton area and expected his last shift to be just another routine day before retiring.

But when he arrived at the village post office to sort out the mail, he was met with a reception committee of Royal Mail chiefs, villagers and sub-postmistress Amanda Haigh who had organised a secret collection for Clive.

And party poppers and balloons decorated the village street when he arrived for his daily delivery with no idea what was in store.

"It was an amazing surprise," he said.

Clive has only had two days off work through illness in his 28 years, delivering the mail on the eight-mile route each day, on his cycle to the villages and a chain of outlying farms.

"Clive has always gone the extra mile to help people in this area and everyone is grateful for the service and help he has given," said Amanda, who has run the post office for 11 years.

Clive worked on a farm for 10 years, before spending eight years in the building industry, and then becoming the local postman.