Tax offices are set to close in a bid to save £27million.

HM Revenue and Customs today announced it was closing its offices across the county, including ones in Colchester, Basildon, Chelmsford, Clacton, Grays and Southend.

From May people will instead be given advice over the phone and if they need a face to face meeting it will be held at places such as council buildings or the person’s own home.

Ruth Owen, HMRC’s director general for personal tax, said: “The pilot showed that this is a valuable service for those who cannot get the help they need elsewhere.

“Our Enquiry Centres offer a great service to those who can reach them.

“But they are spread unevenly across the UK, the number of people using them continues to fall, and our research shows that the majority of customers who do use them don’t actually need to.

“The new service will enable us to tailor help in a way that works better and is more affordable.”