LUDLOW appears to have lost its fight to keep delivery driver Paul Pugh.

A campaign mounted by residents and supported by Ludlow councillors and Mayor Tim Gill has not moved delivery company DPD to change its mind about moving the popular van driver to a route in Birmingham.

In a letter to Liz Hyder, one of the campaigners, the company has set out its reasons for the change.

‘DPD is the largest express parcel delivery company in the UK with over 12,000 drivers, delivering seven days a week. We are also currently experiencing an unprecedented period of growth operating from over 80 depots nationwide.

‘One consequence of this rapid growth is that the areas each of our drivers deliver to are constantly becoming smaller, as new drivers join to deliver the extra parcels we have and we open more depots throughout the country.

‘This is good news for the environment and for drivers as they travel fewer miles but means, of course, that we will not always have the same driver delivering to the same area. As we continue to grow these changes become more frequent.

‘Also with deliveries being made seven days a week, all the home addresses we serve will inevitably have more than one driver each week as our drivers typically only work four or five days each week, meaning another driver has to deliver to those addresses on the other two or three days.

‘We appreciate that many of you get to know your DPD driver very well and enjoy the fact that they know your property and delivery preferences. We also understand that in many cases you do not want us to change your driver, but due to the rapid expansion of the company that is sometimes unavoidable, although we do everything we can to minimise this.

‘I hope this explains why Paul has had to change routes and you’ll see a different DPD driver delivering to your property and that you understand the reasons why this is sometimes unavoidable.’