Widow expresses despair over postal service delays

Janice Turner said she had waited ten days for her post

A widow has expressed anger after missing important letters concerning her late husband, amid postal delays across south-east England in the run-up to Christmas.

Janice Turner, from Dorking, Surrey, said she had waited 10 days without post before receiving 27 items on the same day.

She said the disrupted service meant a payment of her husband's pension had been delayed, which she said was "upsetting and distressing".

Royal Mail insisted it made deliveries every other day and claimed “there is no mail that is being delayed for weeks".

Residents across the South East have said they were experiencing delays as they attempted to receive and send post in the build-up to Christmas.

Ms Turner told BBC Radio Surrey she has been sorting out issues with her husband's estate since he died in October.

She said: "It is a distressing time which is aggravated by this essential service not being delivered properly.

"I've had no post since last Wednesday. I'm completely cynical about the ability of the Royal Mail to deliver a service in Dorking."

Some areas of the South East have seen a reduction in the number of deliveries they have been receiving

Susan Chitty, who lives in Lyminge, near Folkestone, Kent, said: “All this year the post has been erratic.

“This is a rural situation and I get post now once a week. I received 13 pieces of mail yesterday.”

David Spruit, a businessman from Hailsham, East Sussex, said: “Getting mail from clients has been really difficult – 10 to 12 days.

“Sending mail has been just as bad. Stuff just doesn’t arrive.”

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We are firmly committed to improving our quality of service.

“Due to lower staffing levels from vacancies and sick absence, we are currently rotating routes and delivering to houses every other day where necessary."

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