Job seekers are unable to find jobs near their homes as a result of legal action by the Royal Mail it's claimed.

The national postal service has sent a letter to Ernest Marples Ltd – the company that provides a post code search service – to cease their web operations.

Sites such as the JobCentre ProPlus, which allows job hunters to search for local jobs, have been hit.

JobCentre ProPlus says their postcode data provider, ernestmarples.com, has been taken offline and they are looking for alternatives.

A Royal Mail spokesperson says the company hasn't asked any sites to be shut down, it purely asks for third parties to stop allowing unauthorised access to Royal Mail data.

Digital rights body Open Rights Group is now campaigning for post code information to be made freely available, because they were developed with public money.