Apology over delays in town's postal deliveries

Royal Mail says it will take months before the return of a full postal service in Dorking, Surrey.

Some residents are receiving one delivery per week, while others said they have had to wait a month for a second class letter to arrive.

Mole Valley District Council has lodged a formal complaint against Royal Mail.

The postal service company apologised to customers in Dorking who had experienced delays, stating it had been “one of the most challenging in our history”.

Chris Coghlan, Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Dorking and Horley, hasn’t received post for seven days.

“You’ve got people who have sent second class letters and it’s taken up to a month to arrive,” he told BBC Radio Surrey.

“It’s serious, as some residents are missing NHS appointments as a result.”

'Disappointment'

The universal postal service requires Royal Mail to deliver letters to every address in the UK, six days a week at a uniform price, and parcels five days a week.

Mole Valley District Council leader Stephen Cooksey said he had written to Postmasters in Dorking and Leatherhead to ask when the six-day delivery service would be reintroduced.

“Much to my disappointment, I have not received a response and we have taken steps to escalate this matter via Royal Mail’s formal complaints procedure,” he said.

“In the interest of residents and businesses, I am determined to better understand this issue and be informed of a timescale for normal services to resume.”

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Improving quality of service is our top priority and we are committed to restoring service levels to where our customers expect them to be.

“We have plans in place to drive service levels and reduce absence at our delivery offices. We hope and expect to see further progress in the coming months.”