Royal Mail has issued an apology for delivery delays affecting 176 postcodes across the UK, including two in Gosforth, North East, on August 18, 2026.
North East Postcodes Affected
The Gosforth DO (NE3, NE13) is among the affected areas. Royal Mail updates its website daily with regions experiencing disruption, providing targeted support to impacted offices to restore services.
Royal Mail's Statement
On its website, Royal Mail states: "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. We will regularly update customers on the offices most impacted here."
Full List of Affected Postcodes
The affected postcodes include: Altens DO (AB10-AB12, AB35), Basingstoke DO (RG21-RG26, RG28), Bedford MK40 DO (MK40-MK45), Bordon DO (GU35), Bridgnorth DO (WV15, WV16), Brierley Hill DO (DY5), Bristol North DO (BS6, BS7), Calderway DO (WF12-WF14), Cambridge DO (CB1-CB5, CB21-CB25), Carmarthen DO (SA17, SA31, SA32, SA33), Chester DO (CH1-CH4, CH88, CH99), Chichester DO (PO18-PO20), Cullompton DO (EX15), Dudley DO (DY1-DY3), Dundee East DO (DD4, DD5, DD7), Ebbw Vale DO (NP23), Glossop DO (SK13), Gosforth DO (NE3, NE13), Havant DO (PO9, PO10), Henfield DO (BN5, BN44), Heswall DO (CH31, CH60, CH61), Hoylake DO (CH47, CH48), Huntingdon DO (PE26-PE29), Ilfracombe DO (EX34), Northolt DO (UB5, UB6), Kentish Town DO (NW5), Llangefni DO (LL62-LL78), Margate DO (CT7-CT9), Milton Keynes Kiln Farm DO (MK8, MK11-MK14, MK19), Mold DO (CH7), Nuneaton DO (CV10, CV11, CV13), Orton Southgate DO (PE2, PE7-PE9), Port Ellen DO (PA42-PA49), Reading West DO (RG30, RG31), Rugeley DO (WS15), Shrewsbury DO (SY1-SY5), Stratford Upon Avon DO (CV36, CV37), Swindon DO (SN1, SN2, SN3, SN6, SN25, SN26, SN38, SN99), Thornbury DO (BS35), Torrington DO (EX38), Upton DO (CH30, CH49), Wednesbury DO (WS10), Wellington DO (TF1, TF5, TF6, TF13), Wilmslow DO (SK9), and Wolverhampton NE DO (WV11, WV12).
Changes to 2nd Class Service
These delays follow Royal Mail's revision of its 2nd class delivery service. From now on, 2nd class letters and cards will no longer be delivered on Saturdays and will operate on a revised weekday schedule (Monday to Friday). Deliveries will now operate on alternating weekdays, for example, Monday, Wednesday, Friday one week, followed by Tuesday, Thursday the subsequent week. Saturday deliveries for 2nd Class mail have been abolished permanently.
The delivery target remains "three working days," but weekend intervals mean correspondence posted on a Thursday might not reach its destination until the following week's Tuesday.
