ST postcode still worst for on-time deliveries

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THE postal service in Stoke-on-Trent has been ranked the worst in mainland Britain for the second consecutive quarter.

Only 87 per cent of first class letters were delivered on time between September and November, according to latest Royal Mail figures.

That contrasts with the national average of 92.8 per cent and 93.8 per cent of post delivered on time in South Cheshire between those dates.

The service in the ST postcode region has been worse than every area in Britain aside from the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland islands, off the coast of Scotland, this year.

The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) blames the performance on mail being shipped to and from Wolverhampton for sorting.

Residents say they have noticed a deterioration in the service but a Royal Mail spokesman said he expected standards to improve from now on.

David Wright, chairman of the Ball Green and Ridgway Residents' Association, said: "The mail comes in our patch at all times of the day. It has been as late as 3pm or 4pm.

"There has obviously been a marked downturn compared with days gone by. And I am sure the Wolverhampton situation has not helped."

Tom Simpson, pictured, secretary of Sandyford and Goldenhill Residents' Association, said: "I have always had concerns about the mail having to go to Wolverhampton and come back to Stoke-on-Trent.

"They are also taking jobs away from the area, which we don't need.

"I certainly hear more people complaining about the standard of the mail service than I ever have before."

A breakdown of the ST performance shows 87 per cent of first class mail is delivered on time, compared to 90 per cent the previous quarter and 88.7 per cent the three months before.

That is an improvement on last year, when just 79.4 per cent of first class mail was delivered on time to the strike-hit ST postcode area in the three months from April 2007.

Lee Barron, Midlands regional secretary of the CWU, said the problems with mail in the ST region have been worsened by the company's decision to transfer sorting operations to Wolverhampton.

He said: "Royal Mail has always blamed industrial action or the operation, but never seems to blame itself.

"It should take responsibility for the decisions which lead to the failure of the service.

"Mail is being shipped away, which causes a delay first and foremost. It is certainly going to add hours on if you are taking mail 40 miles down the road and 40 miles back to sort it.

"Royal Mail should be investing in the service in Stoke-on-Trent, not closing things down."

A Royal Mail spokesman said it had taken action to improve the region's mail delivery, which would show in future quarterly reports.

He said: "Royal Mail is obviously disappointed with these results. The operational changes we made last September are now finally starting to take effect and we anticipate an improvement to the figures for the last quarter of the year."