DESPITE months of campaigning, it has been confirmed that a Corringham Post Office will close.

The Post Office in Lampits Hill has for some time been earmarked for closure but its fate was confirmed earlier this week.

The closure comes in the face of fierce opposition from local MP, Angela Smith, plus dozens of local residents who sent objection letters and petitions to Post Office HQ.

Mrs Smith fumed: "I am absolutely disgusted. They have not listened to what people have said.

"I sent in two petitions with hundreds of signatures on and I know a lot of people who personally wrote in."

Users of the post office are being asked to switch to either the branch in Corringham town centre or the larger one in Basildon town centre.

Local resident, Edna Fox, 80, of Lampits Hill, who visits the post office at least once a week, said: "I am very upset, I was living in this road before there was a post office here and now it's going.

"When you get to my age and you can only get around using a walking stick it is hard to get into Corringham town centre, I am going to have to get the bus.

"The town centre post office is bigger and there will always be queues. I think it's terrible for everyone in the community." There are also concerns that the closure of the post office will affect local trade.

Jeanette Brooks, manages the Thurrock Cerebal Palsy Society charity shop, which is next door to the post office.

She said: "When the post office closes it will affect our shop a lot. Many of the old people in the community come to collect their pension money and then come next door to shop.