Southwark residents ‘bitterly disappointed’ with Royal Mail after three-week delays to Christmas post

People living in East Dulwich and across the south of the borough have been “let down” by three-week delays to Royal Mail’s Christmas deliveries.

The postal service said delays were caused by staff shortages because of Covid-19. Southwark is one of the London boroughs worst affected by the recent spread of the Omicron variant.

Royal Mail lists the fifteen postcode areas worst hit by delays on its website. Three – East Dulwich, Sydenham and Herne Hill – are at least partly in Southwark.

Charlie Smith, councillor for the Goose Green ward in East Dulwich, said that he had got “numerous” complaints from locals about Royal Mail’s Christmas service.

“People are bitterly disappointed not to have received any post from family and loved ones,” he went on. “The service has deteriorated since the old sorting office in Silvester Road closed and moved to Highshore Road in Peckham. But the current situation is worse and not good enough. I went to the Highshore Road office on Christmas Eve and was told by an officer on duty that many members of staff were absent with COVID related issues.

“I asked why casual staff had not been recruited for the run up to Christmas but was told a few casuals had been hired but were being let go that evening. There is a huge back log of post in the building waiting to be sorted and it is hoped some of the missing staff will return after the holiday and start sorting and delivering.

“Local people feel let down by the Royal Mail and I will by working hard with other local Councillors and our member of Parliament, Helen Hayes to discover the reasons for the poor service and hopefully for an apology and possibly compensation for any financial losses incurred.”

Royal Mail apologised for the inconvenience the delays caused and thanked people for their understanding.