Last week’s Recorder story on Romford’s ambiguous location has got locals hot under the collar.

Comments on the “Romford, Essex? Times change” story on the Recorder’s website came from both sides of the border – wherever it is.

Those in the Essex camp argue Romford has a historical link to the county, while London supporters say the writing’s on the wall.

Nina McEvoy wrote: “Factually we are in London, not Essex, as you pointed out, and I just want people to realise this. Our council tax goes towards paying for the Olympics – if we lived in Essex it wouldn’t! We have the Metropolitan Police - not Essex Police! We live within the M25!

“Just because we WERE in Essex and we write it on our envelopes doesn’t mean we are in Essex now!”

Twitter user @sabrina_bigby wrote: “Essex is part of our history, but boundaries change all the time.”

But Audrey Warren, 86, said it would take more than government boundaries to take Romford out of Essex.

Mrs Warren said: “We have always been Essex. My grandparents moved to Romford from the middle of Essex and we were considered Essex in those days and we always will be Essex.

“Essex is very countrified and you only have to get on a bus in Romford and go for a mile before you are out in the country.”

Commenting on the Recorder website, Susan Parker and Graham L Parker agreed.

“Romford is Essex,” wrote Ms Parker. “Home is where the heart is and my heart will always be in Essex. You can take the girl out of Essex but you will never take Essex out of the girl.”

Adopting slightly stronger tones, Mr Parker wrote: “Don’t talk [nonsense] – we have always been Essex, since I was born. It’s only because of Government boundaries that we became a London Borough. We aren’t actually in London – we are in Essex.”

Romford blogger Melanie Shaw, who writes at TheMelican.blogspot.com, said: “All throughout life I’ve been teased about being from Essex and it’s become part of who I am.

“Although I argue what does it matter and people don’t need to label everything, oddly I admit it makes me sad to think I’m not a true Essex girl.”