Staff and residents at three sheltered homes have spoken of the “devastating” impact the closure of a local post office would have on hundreds of lives.

Minutes into a consultation on the planned closure of the Moatfield post office, letters and petitions throughout the area were lined with signatures.

Joining every local councillor and Hertsmere's MP in their frustration at Post Office Ltd, elderly residents at Storey Court, Collins Court and Moatview Court, voiced “disgust” at the firm's plan, announced last week.

All those able to write letters sent them off to Network Development Manager, Gary Herbert, joining those written by dozens of local shopkeepers and families.

Christine Trice, Scheme Manger at Storey Court, “Most of the residents here are over 80 years old and walking to the post office keeps them independent. Many of them don't have family that they can rely on and independence is very important to them. To take that away would be absolutely devastating. They go to the post office for everything and their quality of live would go down dramatically. “The feeling is that they fought a war for this country, worked hard and are just being forgotten by everyone. It's sad and very unfair.”

Post Office Ltd has suggested two alternate branches in the village, in Aldenham Road and Bushey High Street but an unreliable and indirect bus service located up a hill and a long hilly walk to both branches makes them inaccessible to most residents.

Ms Trice said: “If you took it away they would never make it up the hill to the village. They are completely isolated here.”

Across the road from Storey Court and its 59 residents, Maureen Cox, scheme manager at Collins Court described the proposed closure as “tragic”.

She said the 37 residents, ranging from 63 to 98 years old all used the post office.

She said: “All of them are so scared about how they will manage if it closes. They do everything there. Even if they pay into the bank they draw it out from the post office. The only other one they could get to would be the Harlequin but only around 12 of them can manage that.

“The government is saying it should be care in the community but they're taking this away. It's disgusting. They should be promoting local amenities.”

The Post Office was added to the closure list last week following Post Office Ltd's retention of four other post offices in Hertfordshire, Essex and Buckinghamshire. The result of the consultation will be announced in October.