Royal Mail has warned residents in numerous postcodes throughout the UK that their post is facing delays. The delivery giant strives to deliver letters and parcels six days a week, while also handling parcel deliveries on Sundays. However, widespread disruptions across the network mean that households and businesses in the affected regions will not receive their mail on schedule. As of Friday, July 10, 2026, there are disruptions in 198 areas including Cambridge, Nottingham, Barry, Hull and Stockport.
Royal Mail Statement on Delays
Royal Mail said: "We aim to deliver to all addresses we have mail for, six days a week. In a small number of local offices, this may temporarily not be possible due to local issues such as high levels of sick absence, resourcing, or other local factors. In those cases, we will rotate deliveries to minimise the delay to individual customers. 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. We're sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding."
Network Performance and Recent Challenges
Over the past 24 hours, Royal Mail's air and road network operated to schedule. Just last month, Royal Mail warned customers of potential postal delays as a result of the heatwave. Yet another spell of scorching weather is sweeping across the UK this week, with a fresh heatwave declared. Royal Mail previously told customers: "Our posties and drivers are taking extra care in the heat to keep themselves and our customers safe... thank you for your patience if deliveries take a little longer."
Past Penalties and Future Targets
The company has faced criticism regarding delayed deliveries in recent years and was handed a £21 million penalty by Ofcom in October as a result. The firm failed to meet its objectives after achieving just 77% of First Class post and 92.5% of Second Class post delivered on time in 2024 to 2025. This year, Royal Mail has outlined enhanced objectives. It is targeting improvement of First Class Next Day delivery to approximately 85% within nine months, before achieving the 90% benchmark established by regulator Ofcom within a year.
Chief Operating Officer Comments
Jamie Stephenson, Royal Mail's chief operating officer, said: "We're putting significant investment into improving reliability and reaching these new delivery targets, but delivering lasting change across a network of this scale takes time. Universal Service reform is a key part of that, helping us adapt the network to reflect how people send and receive mail today while protecting the one-price-goes-anywhere service for the future. We have a plan to deploy the new delivery model to all delivery offices across the country by the Christmas peak period and have set clear targets for each quarter as changes are introduced across the network. Early performance this year shows we are tracking in line with the plan and moving in the right direction."
Full List of Affected Postcodes
Altens DO (AB10-AB12, AB35), Ashington DO (NE22, NE62-NE64), Aylesbury DO (HP19-HP21), Barnstaple DO (EX18, EX31, EX32, EX33, EX35, EX37), Barry DO (CF63), Basingstoke DO (RG21-RG26, RG28), Bedford DO (MK40-MK45), Bicester DO (OX25, OX26, OX27), Bradford North DO (BD1, BD2, BD3, BD8, BD9, BD10), Bracknell DO (RG12, RG42, RG45), Brecon DO (LD3), Brierley Hill DO (DY5), Caerphilly DO (CF83), Calne DO (SN11), Cambridge DO (CB1-CB5, CB21-CB25), Carmarthen DO (SA17, SA31, SA32, SA33), Carterton DO (OX18), Clifton NG DO (NG11), Coalville DO (LE6, LE67), Deal DO (CT14), Dursley DO (GL11, GL12, GL13), Eastwood DO (NG16), Ebbw Vale DO (NP23), Fareham DO (PO14-PO17), Flint DO (CH6, CH8), Gloucester North DO (GL3-GL4), Great Glen SPDO (LE8), Hedge End DO (SO30, SO32), Hull Central DO (HU1-HU3, HU5, HU9, HU12, HU19), Hunslet DO (LS10), Hyde DO (SK13, SK14, SK16), Ilfracombe DO (EX34), Inverclyde DO (PA14-PA19), Kidderminster DO (DY10-DY12, DY14), Kingswinford DO (DY6), Kingswood DO (BS15, BS30), Knutsford DO (WA16), Leieston DO (IP15-IP16), Llaongollen SUDO (LL20), Loughborough DO (LE11-LE12), Malton DO (YO17), Mid Rhondda Ganol DO (CF39-CF40), Nantwich DO (CW5), New Ferry DO (CH32, CH62, CH63), Nottingham North DO (NG5, NG14), Nottingham South DO (NG2, NG12), Okehampton DO (EX19, EX20, EX21), Orton Southgate DO (PE2, PE7-PE9), Oxford DO (OX1-OX2), Oxford East DO (OX3, OX4, OX33, OX44, OX49), Patchway DO (BS32, BS34-BS35), Pontypridd DO (CF37-CF38, CF46), Saxon Way DO (HU4, HU10, HU13-HU15), Sheffield North East DO (S5, S35), St Helens DO (WA9-WA11), Stalybridge SUDU (SK15), Stockport Central DO (SK1, SK2, SK3, SK4, SK5, SK7), Stourbridge DO (DY7-DY9), Stourport On Severn DO (DY13), Swindon DO (SN1, SN2, SN3, SN6, SN25, SN26, SN38, SN99), Tipton DO (DY4), Tiverton DO (EX16, EX18), Wallingford DO (OX10, OX49), Wantage DO (OX12), Warrington DO (WA1-WA2, WA4-WA5, WA55), Weston Super Mare DO (BS23-BS24, BS40), Wimborne DO (BH21), Wolverhampton NE DO (WV11, WV12), Wolverhampton NW DO (WV6-WV9), Yate DO (BS37).
