Parts of Chichester hit by mail delays after positive virus cases at delivery office

One Manhood Peninsula resident said: “Many residents have had little or no mail since the 22nd December, quite a few on the Manhood have had no mail for nearly two weeks.”

Meanwhile resident Amanda Pearce said post had not been delivered to her road, Bremere Lane in Highleigh, Sidlesham, since January 9 – apart from mail requiring a signature.

The 66-year-old said she had heard that several people at the sorting office were off sick.

The Royal Mail said there had been two confirmed coronavirus cases at the Chichester Delivery Office.

A number of people have been self-isolating, but they are now returning back to work, it confirmed.

Deliveries were being made each day or every other day, the Royal Mail said, and staff were working hard to deliver a normal service as quickly as they could.

Mrs Pearce said: “It’s the sort of thing you don’t really notice until you think, when did I last see the postman?”

Some residents were waiting for passports, business letters or other important items, she said.

While she understood the reason behind the delays, she said the lack of communication about what was going on had made it difficult.

“One of the concerns had been that we have a lot of older residents who are awaiting the call-up for the vaccine,” she said.

“It was originally said they would be done by letter. That was the worry, that people were waiting for the letter, but I understand that people are getting texts or phone calls from the surgery.”

A spokesperson for Royal Mail said: “Across the UK, our people are working hard to deliver as comprehensive a service as possible to all our customers in challenging circumstances.

“Despite our best endeavours, it is possible that some areas of the country may experience a reduction in service levels due to higher volumes of mail during the lockdown, the ongoing impact of COVID-related staff absences and necessary social distancing measures at local mail centres and delivery offices.

“Right from the start of this crisis, we have played a key role keeping the country connected.

“Every single letter and parcel is important to us.

“Like most organisations, we have a number of employees who are self-isolating in line with government guidance.

“This has a direct impact on our staffing levels, especially in areas where there are higher levels of local outbreaks.

“We are working hard to deliver as normal a service as we can, drawing in extra resource and offering additional overtime where possible.

“We remain grateful to all our customers in these areas for their patience and understanding as our dedicated workforce work hard to deliver these exceptional volumes, whilst also adhering to necessary social distancing measures.

“We always endeavour to keep our customers updated on any changes to our services. We have a dedicated section on our website.

“Throughout the pandemic, every decision we make puts the health of our people and customers first.”