WORRIED residents and politicians fear post in Southend and Castle Point could be delivered later than ever before.

Concerns have intensified ahead of the closure of Southend’s main sorting office on Monday, March 19.

The site, in Short Street, employs 107 sorting staff, however 65 staff will transfer to the Chelmsford mail centre in Boreham, with 37 workers taking redundancy. The other five are being redeployed into deliveries.

Nigel Holdcroft, leader of Southend Council, said he was disappointed to hear of jobs leaving Southend.

He added: “I am also very concerned if it means a deterioration of the service for residents.

“I appreciate it is a difficult time to maintain profitability, but it is a worry to hear of a deterioration in the postal service in the area.”

John Hunt, 49, the county’s branch secretary of the Communications’ Workers Union, fears there will be even later delivery times.

He said: “Customers who get mail at say 10am can expect 11am in the future.

“This is because it is at least a 45-minute journey to local delivery offices in Southend and Castle Point from the depot in Boreham.

“If there is an accident on the roads then, of course, it will be even later.”

Martine Greenwood, 44, of First Avenue, Canvey, fears the worst.

She said: “I get my post later and later these days. I used to get post at 9am or 10am and now it’s somewhere between 2pm and 4pm.

“We don’t get post every day and it seems like they hold it back.

“My son turned 14 last Monday and we’ve still not had all his cards. It’s ridiculous.”

Pearl Bramble, 73, of Eton Road, Leigh, said: “I used to get my post first thing in the morning, but it usually comes at about 1pm now, and it’s been like that for a long time.”

Canvey county councillor Ray Howard, who is also a borough and town councillor, said: “It is very regrettable.

“Royal Mail is competing with the internet and e-mails, but people still rely on post and this will be particularly harmful to businesses.”

Royal Mail delivers 25 million fewer letters each day than it did in 2006.

The company has blamed a severe fall in the demand for its services for the decision to restructure.

Valerie Antoine, a Royal Mail spokeswoman, didn’t comment specifically on the situation in south Essex, but said: “We are now delivering 59 million items a day, compared to 84 million items a day six years ago.

“These changes are vital in order to put Royal Mail on a sound, secure and sustainable footing for the future.”