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Anger grows as Oxford householders hit with major postal delays

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Anger grows as Oxford householders hit with major postal delays

Many residents have shared their frustrations with the ongoing postal issues with numerous people saying their post arrives late or not at all. 

It comes as Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds arrived unannounced at Littlemore’s delivery office where she saw “a lot of mail” waiting to be delivered last October. 

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She urged the Royal Mail to act quickly to address the backlog at the time, but nearly one year on, householders have shared their growing impatience with the faltering system. 

East Oxford resident Mary Ellen said she has not received any post at all so far this month and is waiting on important letters including “information her heart failure nurse wanted to send her”.

Gary Brimson, another resident in east Oxford, said: “Not sure what’s going on with the deliveries from east Oxford delivery office but last week was the second week I’ve not received a weekly magazine.

“So hit-and-miss lately. I’d say poor service but there is none.”

Headington householder Emily, whose surname has not been disclosed, added that she has had “patchy post” for a while.

“The most annoying instance for me was when I ordered some mail order plants which were sent by Royal Mail 48 hour delivery by the company. They arrived two weeks later – completely dead, of course,” she told the Oxford Mail.

“This happened several times before I gave up entirely on an mail order of anything at all which was time-sensitive.

“It’s ongoing, although it seems to have periods of being fine and periods of being terrible.

“It’s very frustrating, especially as so many companies use Royal Mail, which makes it very difficult to avoid.”

John Froissart, who also lives in east Oxford, said his weekly subscription copy of the Radio Times “regularly arrives several days after its start date”.

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“More alarmingly, an elderly neighbour had her landline cut off because she did not receive her bill in post,” he added. 

However, a spokesperson for Royal Mail claimed it is “continuing to deliver post daily” in east Oxford, but due to staffing issues it is working to ensure normal service resumes as soon as possible. 

“We would reassure customers in Oxford East that we are continuing to deliver post daily,” the spokesperson said. 

“We have recently restructured the local delivery office to solve long-standing vacancy and absence issues and are working to ensure normal service resumes as soon as possible.”

Ms Dodds, who is also Minister of State for Development, said she has been pushing Royal Mail for a resolution. 

Ms Dodds at a sorting office where she observed stacks of undelivered letters (Image: Oxford Mail)

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“I have repeatedly raised with Royal Mail the severe problems Oxford east residents have had with postal deliveries,” she told the Oxford Mail

“Some local residents have missed hospital appointments, others have missed funerals, and others have missed essential business paperwork, all because of issues at Royal Mail.

“I will continue to push Royal Mail nationally to recognise our problems in Oxford.

“Local Royal Mail staff have been working really hard to improve the situation, but we need a recognition of the problems with deliveries to be made nationally.”