Royal Mail has confirmed that households across 27 postcode areas could face delays to their post this weekend due to problems affecting a number of delivery offices. The postal service has issued an update for customers after 13 delivery offices across the UK were named as being among those most impacted.
Service aims and causes of disruption
Royal Mail said it aims to deliver to every address it has mail for six days a week, but warned this may temporarily not be possible in some areas. Problems can be caused by high levels of staff sickness, resourcing issues or other local factors. When this happens, Royal Mail says it may rotate deliveries to try to minimise the delays faced by individual households.
The postal service and courier company said: "We also provide targeted support to those offices to address their challenges and restore our service to the high standard our customers would normally receive." It added: "We're sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding."
Weather and safety measures
Royal Mail said it will continue to update customers on the delivery offices most affected by disruption. The company also warned that bad weather can sometimes affect deliveries and collections. During extreme heat or severe winter conditions, Royal Mail said it monitors conditions and carries out risk assessments to protect postal workers. Some streets or addresses may occasionally become unsafe to access, meaning services could be temporarily changed or paused until it is safe for deliveries to resume.
Affected postcode areas
The 27 postcode areas currently affected are: Bicester DO: OX25, OX26, OX27; Birchwood DO: WA3; Bridge of Don DO: AB22, AB23; Exmouth DO: EX8, EX9; Golders Green DO: NW11; Houghton Le Spring DO: DH4, DH5; Ilfracombe DO: EX34; Nuneaton DO: CV10, CV11, CV13; Reading East DO: RG4, RG5, RG6, RG10; Teignmouth DO: TQ14; Thornbury DO: BS35; Wandsworth DO: SW18; Warrington DO: WA1, WA2, WA4, WA5, WA55.
