Fears of a "downgrade" in service are brewing after news that a postal delivery office may merge with another in the town centre.

Royal Mail announced it is "exploring the option" of merging Finchley Church End delivery office, Dollis Park, to the North Finchley delivery office in Lodge Lane.

But residents and the union for postal workers, the CWU, fear this will mean a decrease in the level of service or that they will have to travel almost two miles to pick up their packages.

One Jonathan Myers said: "This has been a good local amenity for many years and would have major effects for local residents like myself - and the local postal workers - if allowed to proceed."

One of the reasons given for the merge is in response to the rise in electronic communications meaning a decrease in letter volumes, but an increase in the volume of parcels from online shopping.

CWU branch secretary for the area, Kevin Carey, said: "If Finchley Church End Royal Mail Delivery Office was to be closed, it would be a major blow to the local services which many people rely on.

He added: "This would not be the same for Finchley Church End residents if the merger took place, having to travel over a mile and a half further to North Finchley Royal Mail Delivery Office, an increase in traffic, in an already very congested area, an increase in parking in an area that already struggles to provide any non resident parking, simply put there would be in our view, a downgrade in the Royal Mail service for Finchley Church End residents."

Mr Carey also commented that residents of North Finchley would feel the same negative effects with the added concern of extra HGVs in the area.

Royal Mail has said there would be no impact on deliveries to customers and the move would allow them to improve facilities for customers in efficiency and delivery operations.

A statement from Royal Mail said there would be no compulsory redundancies and it is beginning talks with the CWU.

The statement said: "We have a strong track record of managing change and we would work with our staff and our unions to give them the opportunity to discuss the implications in detail."