ROYAL Mail will be closing its delivery office in Ilminster in one week, the firm has revealed.

The company is set to stop operating from the Ilminster premises on July 31.

The town's Post Office will remain open, while the Royal Mail delivery moves to its site in Chard.

Royal Mail's sorting office has been in Ilminster for 50 years.

The town's Post Office services are due to be unaffected by the move.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Royal Mail can confirm that it is to relocate Ilminster delivery office to its site in Chard from July 31.

"There are no job losses as a result of this move, and there will be no impact on deliveries to residents in Ilminster.

"We will continue to provide a local mail collection facility at Ilminster Post Office for any mail that we could not deliver or leave with a neighbour.

“The move is part of Royal Mail’s ongoing transformation of its business to increase the efficiency of its operation whilst providing sites for our people which can accommodate the modern postbag.

"This comprises more and larger parcels as customers increasingly shop online, and fewer letters due to the huge growth in electronic communications.”

Staff at Ilminster Post Office were quick to stress that their branch are not set to be affected by this closure.

One of the staff members said: “It’s been on the cards for a while.

“The sorting office has been there for 50 years.

“There was an issue regarding the parking of vans outside, but this was just a contributing factor.

“Other options for parking were explored but they were not suitable.

“Hopefully all our services should remain as normal.

“Confusing the Post Office and the Royal Mail is an easy mistake to make, so we just want to make sure everyone knows the Post Office is staying put, and we have made sure parcels can still be collected here.”

Chard & Ilminster News:

Demi Cook, the postmaster Chris Cook, and Heidi Morgan