Royal Mail is experiencing delays in Highbury and Upper Holloway.
- Credit: PA/Chris Radburn
Islington residents have spoken of their frustration with postal delays as Royal Mail works hard to maintain its service through the pandemic.
Royal Mail says resourcing and self-isolation issues amid the Covid-19 crisis has caused problems at its offices around the country, including in Highbury and Upper Holloway.
This newspaper understands the problem in Islington emerged around late November, with residents reporting deliveries arriving weeks late throughout the festive period and beyond.
A Barnsbury resident, Jennie Loveday, told the
Gazette: People were very upset and angry that all their Christmas stuff did not arrive before Christmas. But obviously, it s not only Christmas cards that have been delayed. There are so many people now that are applying for universal credit and people are not getting these letters.
Royal Mail denies delaying letter delivery to prioritise lucrative parcel contracts across UK
ROYAL Mail has denied it is prioritising lucrative parcel contracts over letter deliveries as many parts of the UK are suffering from a slow postal service.
While insiders at two major sorting offices told i the privatised postal group was focusing on parcel deliveries in order to fight off competition from other providers, Royal Mail said the reasons for tackling parcels first were due to Covid-enforced staff shortages and a requirement to clear space at its distribution centres.
One Royal Mail manager based at a mail centre in the north west of England said staff had been instructed to prioritise parcel deliveries ahead of letters as Covid-19 lockdowns had led to a surge in online orders.
This included 27 areas in England and one in Northern Ireland.
Royal Mail has now addressed possible delays across the UK and shared an update for customers.
In a statement published on the Royal Mail website today, it explained some offices are experiencing resourcing issues .
Royal Mail: It has issued an update for customers (Image: GETTY)
It continued: Deliveries and collections are taking place across the UK today. However, deliveries may be disrupted in some areas due to resourcing issues in a small number of our delivery offices. We’re working hard to deliver as comprehensive a service as possible to all our customers during these challenging times.
Royal Mail has listed 28 areas in the UK where post might be delayed, with 27 in England and one in Northern Ireland.
Problems with deliveries and late post have concerned residents around the country in fear they may be missing important letters.
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “All Royal Mail operational sites across the UK, are working hard to deliver the most comprehensive service we can to all our customers in challenging circumstances.
“In common with most organisations, we have a number of employees who are self-isolating in line with official regulations.
Royal Mail: Full list of UK postcodes affected by ‘temporary reduction in service’ (Image: Getty)
| UPDATED: 09:12, Wed, Jan 13, 2021
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Royal Mail services are struggling to keep up with delays caused by the Covid pandemic. Surging infections have badly hit the service, as carriers have either contracted the disease or made to self-isolate. Nearly 30 regions now no longer receive regular post, and some people will not have received packages or letters for some time.