Royal Mail warns customers of postal delays in 45 UK postcodes

The Royal Mail has confirmed a number of delays in letter and package deliveries around the UK as Christmas Day draws nearer. 

The Royal Mail has revealed it’s experiencing delays as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 disruptions, with many people wondering if the UK will go back into lockdown this year. Whilst the postal service has announced it’s doing everything possible to maintain services up to date, Brits have been warned of the locations that are currently affected.

Most customers would have previously been warned by big retailers such as Aldi, M&S, and Argos of possible shopping delays in the run-up to Christmas due to strike actions.

Now the UK’s largest postal service has issued a warning to 45 postcodes throughout the country, stating that “capacity issues” at Stanstead airport meant that “not all mail could fly on the scheduled flight to Edinburgh and was transported via the surface network.”

The vans leaving the Princess Royal Distribution Centre in London have been delayed due to a large volume of mail. As a result, any mail sent yesterday in London and the South East due to arrive this week in other areas of the UK may end up being delayed.

Due to the sheer volume of mail received at London’s Princess Royal Distribution Centre, workers are struggling to process mail orders in time. This comes as Royal Mail has also been targeted by a number of scams in 2021. Earlier this year, one woman issued a new warning about a delivery scam that reportedly took “every penny” she had.

Credits: Getty Images

Which postcode areas have been impacted ?

During the last 48 hours, these mail centres reported that not all mail was processed or dispatched on time.

• Bristol Mail Centre:  BA, BS, GL and TA postcode areas.
• Chelmsford Mail Centre:  CM, CO and SS postcode areas.
• Chester Mail Centre:  CH, LL and SY postcode areas.
• Exeter Mail Centre:  EX and TQ postcode areas.
• Norwich Mail Centre:  IP and NR postcode areas.
• Sheffield Mail Centre:  DN, HU, LN and S postcode areas.
• Southampton Mail Centre:  PO, SO and SP postcode areas.
• South Midlands Mail Centre: CV, LE, MK and NN postcode areas.
• Warrington Mail Centre:  CW, L, WA and WN postcode areas.
• Nottingham Mail Centre: DE and NG postcode areas for delivery in other parts of the UK.

Whilst, according to the official Royal Mail website, the following postcodes have been hit the hardest:

• Belfast West DO (BT10 – BT12 and BT17)
• Belper DO (DE56)
• Burnham On Crouch DO (CM0 8)
• Chelmsford DO (CM1 to CM3)
• Congleton DO (CW4 and CW12)
• Cricklewood DO (NW2)
• Eccles DO (M30)
• Farnborough DO (GU14)
• Finsbury Park DO (N4 and N15)
• Havant DO (PO9-10)
• Hornsey DO (N8)
• Longton DO (ST3 and ST11)
• New Ferry DO (CH32, CH62 and CH63)
• Northwich DO (CW8 to CW9)
• Pontypridd DO (CF37, CF38 and CF46)
• Rayleigh DO (SS6)
• Shrewsbury DO (SY1 to SY5)
• South Croydon DO (CR2)
• St. Helens DO (WA9 to WA11)
• Stocksbridge (S36)
• Upminster DO (RM14)
• Upton DO (CH30 and CH49)
• Warrington DO (WA1 to WA2 and WA4 to WA5)
• Willesden DO (NW10 and NW26)

If you have sent or are expecting to receive any post any live in any of these postcodes, it seems it might still be a few days yet before it arrives.