RESIDENTS in a Hampshire village face a 14-mile drive each day just to pick up their post after the Royal Mail deemed their road too dangerous to deliver on.

The controversial decision by the Royal Mail to suspend their deliveries means those living on a new development in Whiteley must travel to Fareham to collect their mail.

Coleridge Drive and Dumas Drive have been deemed to be in a hard hat area and therefore a health and safety risk.

A letter posted to residents states: "Due to the area being redeveloped with new houses the Royal Mail are unable to deliver mail because the area is classed as a health and safety high risk issue.

"Whilst building and ancillary operations continue we will hand all mail to the delivery office until further notice."

However this explanation has left residents bemused because over the past 12 months, when building work was being carried out much closer to their homes, the post has continued to be delivered.

Simon Lees, of Coleridge Drive is just one of the angry residents who cannot understand why this action has suddenly been taken.

Simon, who works for the Royal Navy, said: "This is outrageous. The reason they have given is ridiculous because they have been delivering mail to us for a year and now when the building development is happening three or four streets away they suddenly decide it's a health risk.

"It is a real inconvenience because I am in the Royal Navy so I am at work during the sorting office's opening hours which means I will only be able to pick up my mail once a week on a Saturday!

"It also means more people having to drive the 14-mile round trip to Fareham every day just to pick up their mail, which will be blocking already heavily congested roads and damaging the environment."

Another resident Laura Poustie, 26, of Coleridge Drive, added: "I think this is madness. My husband and I both work from home so not having our mail delivered will have an effect on our income.

"Why do we have to go all the way into Fareham to pick up our post? Why can't they drop it at the local post office?"

The Royal Mail said that the local delivery office would be happy to talk to customers and organise alternative deliveries on a temporary basis.

A spokesman said: "We carried out a health and safety assessment and found it is not safe for staff to deliver to homes in Coleridge Drive and four homes in Dumas Drive.

"This suspension of services will continue until it is no longer a hard hat area.

"We would love to hear if there is an alternative, safer, route to the houses."