Residents have hit out at Royal Mail after its city centre sorting office slashed its opening hours.

People looking to pick up or drop off mail at the Royal Mail sorting office in Brighton's North Road will now have only two two-hours in the morning and afternoon to do this.

The company said demand is reducing for customers to use its customer service points - such as the one in North Road -as doorstep services and automatic redelivery 'improves'.

 The Argus: North Road sorting officeNorth Road sorting office (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

However local residents are not happy.

Kim Wilson-Green posted on local Facebook group Brighton People: "What stupid hours. What are those that work supposed to do? They obviously cannot collect anything during a lunch break now."

The opening hours are now 8am-10am and 4pm-6pm Tuesday to Friday, 8am-10am on a Monday, and 8am-12pm on a Saturday.

The Argus: The old opening hours are taped upThe old opening hours are taped up (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Records show the opening hours of the site were much longer this time last year - typically open between 8am and 7pm, and 8pm on a Thursday between Tuesday and Thursday.

A sign placed on the entrance of the sorting office said the new hours were introduced on July 10.

The Argus: The new sign on the doorThe new sign on the door (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

A spokeswoman for Royal Mail said: "We understand the importance that some customers attach to Customer Service Points (CSPs) as one of a number of ways in which they can access our services.

"An increase in doorstep services such as Parcel Collect and Safeplace are helping us to enhance customer convenience and deliver more parcels first time.

"In May this year, we also introduced automatic redelivery of parcels the next working day across the UK for customers who are not at home when posties attempt to deliver the first time.

"Over 99 per cent of parcels are now successfully delivered to customers on the first or second delivery attempt. This is reducing the need for customers to collect parcels from CSPs.

“To keep pace with the changing behaviour of our customers, we are amending the opening hours of CSPs. 

"We have a range of options free-of-charge for customers who want to arrange for an item to be redelivered."