A closure threat at three Royal Mail delivery offices in the Bradford district has been greeted with alarm.

Discussions are being held by Royal Mail about the possible axing of the offices in Shipley, Bingley and Bradford West in Thornton Road.

It would leave customers having to travel to a new site next to the Bradford North Delivery Office in Inkersley Road, near Forster Square Retail Park, to pick up undelivered mail.

But the proposals have been opposed by councillors representing wards where the closures could take place.

Councillor John Pennington (Con, Bingley) said he would question how much the amount of mail had declined with the rise in online auction sites and people buying products on the internet.

He said: “The parcel service should be bigger. If Royal Mail isn’t getting its share, it should be providing a better service.

“I’m horrified by the proposal. I think the constituents deserve the service.”

Councillor Martin Love (Green, Shipley) said: “It’s ridiculous to expect people to go in from Shipley or Bingley for a parcel, and it may not always be for a parcel, it could just be for advertising.

“They could get round the situation that they seem to have with wanting to shut the offices by merely dropping off any undelivered parcels to the nearest Post Office. That would actually be an improvement because Post Offices are closer to people than the delivery offices.

“It would also help to support the local post offices as well, so if they could generate business in this way then it could be a step forward.”

Royal Mail has stressed the proposals are at an early stage and are subject to a “scoping exercise”.

It has said changes were necessary as it faced declining volumes of mail and tough competition from delivery companies.