Meltham Community Post Office is to get a new sub-postmaster after the business was sold to a new owner.

Richard Noon and Chris Markham’s last day as sub-postmaster and chief financier respectively will be August 16.

Bradford cafe owner Syed Hussain, a married father-of-three, will take over the following day.

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for Mr Noon who had to endure a “wildcat strike” in December last year after staff demanded his resignation in a row over how the business was run.

Mr Noon, a father-of-one, who has a degree in business and IT, and who has worked in the marketing department of Huddersfield University for the past three years, said: “That was a fantastic learning experience and the worst month of my existence.”

Mr Noon explained that he and Mr Markham, who now works in Leamington Spa, had never wanted to run a post office but said their hands had been forced when the former sub-postmaster dropped out of plans to move the post office from Holmfirth Road into the Carlile Institute in Huddersfield Road.

Richard Noon (right) welcomes new owner Syed Hussain to Meltham Post Office.

Mr Noon, a leading figure in the Meltham community, said: “The intention was that he would move his branch into the Carlile Institute, which was transferred by Kirklees Council to community ownership in September 2014.

“The post office was set to be a key anchor tenant so we got together as a group of residents in the pub and decided to go for it.

“Chris and I had never wanted to run a post office.

“Our objective was the retention of the post office and to save the Carlile and we have done both in a very short space of time.

“Myself and a couple of trustees have put a substantial amount of working capital into the post office though my role is a voluntary, unpaid role.

“Myself, Chris and the board of the Carlile Institute and Meltham Town Council wish Syed the best of luck as he starts on his journey. It’s time to hand over the baton to someone else.

“It was never meant to start like it did and I didn’t expect it to end like it has but I am excited about the coming years.

“Mr Hussain has never run a post office before but they understand the wider picture.

New owner Syed Hussain at Meltham Post Office.

“We put it on the market in January and we had half-a-dozen offers with more than 30 people interested.

“I’m leaving with mixed emotions but I’m delighted to be able to spend more time with my family.

Meltham is quite a special little place and it was important that we acted otherwise Meltham could have been left without a post office and that would have been sacrilege.”

Paul White, chairman of the trustees of Meltham Carlile Community Interest Company, which helped refurbish the building, paid tribute to Mr Noon and Mr Markham and said: “Richard, in particular, has been hugely impressive.

“It’s a completely voluntary role and he has had no payment at all over the last two years.

“But it’s the right time for someone else to come in and run the business and drive it forward.

“Mr Hussain and his wife are a lovely couple.”