ROYAL Mail has confirmed it will close its Rochford delivery office and move services to Southend in January.

The closure means people who miss signed-for and other deliveries will have to travel to Short Street, Southend, to collect them.

Themovewas first proposed in 2012, but opposition from residents and councillors has failed to stop the closure.

Royal Mail will write to householders, explaining the changes.

Rochford councillor Gillian Lucas-Gill said: “I am not happy about this. Nobody in Rochford is happy about it. We managed to get it delayed, but we wanted to stop it.

"Our former council chairman, Paul Warren, tried very hard to get it stopped.

“It’s very difficult for people in Rochford because a high percentage of them are elderly and they will now have to go all the way to Southend.

"We tried to get it moved to a local shop but they didn’t listen.

We’ve done everything we can now, but nobody wants to know.”

However, Royal Mail insists there will be no impact on deliveries.

Delivery director for Southend Michael Devanny said: “We are delighted we will soon be serving our customers in Rochford and Canewdon from our site in Southend.

“There will be no impact on deliveries as a result of the move and we aim to continue to provide a consistent and high-quality service to customers in Rochford and Canewdon.”

Customers who miss a delivery will be able to re-arrange it free of charge on a day to suit them, including Saturdays. Alternatively, the company says it will deliver items to an alternative address within the same postcode area.

Customers will be able to get this done by calling the number on the card left by the postie, or by visiting royal mail.com They can collect post from the Southend delivery office, in Short Street, between 6.30am and 6.30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, between 6.30am and 8pm on Wednesdays and 6.30am and 2pm on Saturdays.

Royal Mail says none of the 28 people who work in its Rochford office will lose their jobs.