Stansted Mountfitchet's road names causing confusion

Walson Way was originally intended to be Watson Way, the name has now been claimed in a new development

Residents on a new road could get an address change because the name of their street is causing confusion.

An error years ago led to a road in the village of Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, being named Walson Way rather than Watson Way.

As Watson Way was approved but unused, it has been given to a new road in the village.

But both postal staff and residents have been left confused, as the two roads also have similar postcodes.

Michael Purton, of Walson Way, said some of the addresses in Walson Way had only the last letter of their postcodes separating them from the households in nearby Watson Way.

'Not ideal'

"We started to notice that some of our mail seemed to have disappeared. And then we started to receive mail for Watson Way and we were really confused," he said.

"On Mothering Sunday, my wife got a bouquet of flowers but they were for somebody else, in Watson Way."

Postman Roger Steeles said the situation was "not ideal".

Stansted Mountfitchet Parish Council plans to ask those in Watson Way if they want to keep or change the name of their street.

A spokesman for Uttlesford District Council, which approves names, said: "The two streets do have a very similar postcode but they aren't adjacent to each other.

"Those residents we've spoken with who have received the wrong mail have been happy to exchange it with each other.

"However, Royal Mail has assured us that once the development is complete it will have its own designated postal worker who will be aware of the very similar sounding street names."