RESIDENTS in Dorchester have been left baffled after postbox collections times have been altered.

Signs have appeared on postboxes around the town, including on Weymouth Avenue, stating that collections will ‘not be before 9am’.

But residents have hit out at the changes, saying it has left them uncertain of when to post their letters to ensure they arrive on time.

The Royal Mail said collection times will not be altered on any postbox which is more than half a mile away from an alternative facility.

Postboxes affected will also carry a notice saying where the nearest 4pm facility is located for use when the changes come into affect later this month.

Jeane Holmes, 75, worked for the Post Office for more than 40 years.

She said: “It seems to be another example of cuts to the service.

“I live in Maumbury Square and everyone around here uses the postbox on Weymouth Avenue but now we don’t know when the postman is coming.

“It’s not very good from a security point of view because if we don’t know what time the collection is, we could miss it and a letter could end up sitting there all night.”

She added: “Luckily Dorchester does have a very low crime rate, but this must be something that is happening elsewhere as well.”

A spokesman for Royal Mail said the changes have been introduced to make savings as an alternative to communities losing postboxes which are rarely used.

He said: “Declining letter volumes lead to a significant fall in the number of items being posted in postboxes. This leaves many postboxes no longer covering their costs.

“Rather than decommission uneconomic postboxes, while staying within the regulated density requirement, Royal Mail will ensure their viability by improving the efficiency of its collections arrangements.”

Up to 50,000 postboxes across the country out of a total 115,300 will be moved to an earlier collection time with postmen and women collecting the mail on their delivery route, which is expected to be between 9am and 3pm.

An indicator tab on the postbox will show if the collection has been made.