COME rain or shine, there has always been one man that the residents around Beaulieu and Buckler's Hard could rely on.

Cheery postman Keith Betteridge has spent the last 42 years delivering letters and parcels in the New Forest. Now he has hung up his mailbag for the final time.

Keith, who turns 65 next month, is retiring and is looking forward to enjoying a lie-in after a lifetime of getting up at 3.45am.

"It's a smashing little run," said Keith who lives in Beaulieu. "I couldn't have wished for a better one and when I finish I will really miss it. It will take me two or three months to really get it out of my system.

"It's the blokes you work with that also really make the job worthwhile and I will miss them as much as the job."

Keith, who was born in Winchester and went to school in Beaulieu and Brockenhurst, added: "On the first day I'm retired I'm hoping to keep my eyes shut, I'm looking forward to a few lie-ins but I'm going to have to force myself to stay asleep somehow."

Since the start of his postal career, Keith has been based at Beaulieu, Brockenhurst and finally Lymington, where he has done the same round for the last 15 to 20 years.

One thing that he definitely won't miss is getting acquainted with every postman's worst nightmare, the angry dog.

"I have been bitten by a lot of dogs," admitted Keith, who worked his last shift on Saturday. One bit me on the mouth in East Boldre once and I had to go to hospital. You get used to it in the end and learn where all the dogs are."

Keith, who worked as a voluntary firefighter for 18 years in Beaulieu and locks up the village's abbey every night, is now hoping to find a small part-time job to keep him occupied and to play plenty of snooker. Andrew Bloor, Lymington delivery office manager, said: "Keith is an excellent person and is part of the furniture really. He is a manager's dream because he always gets on with the work. He is really well-liked and the blokes actually asked to do a collection for him which shows how popular he is.

"He will be missed and I know he will miss us because it's his life."

Brenda Hoult, owner of Flowers of the Forest, in Beaulieu High Street, said Keith would be sorely missed by everyone on his round.

"Keith is so efficient and whenever he had a day-off or holiday it was chaotic," she said. "We would all get together and double his wages if he stayed on. We don't know what we will do without him."