Liverpool posties struggle to cope with ice

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Liverpool posties struggle to cope with ice as Christmas backlog remains

POSTMEN have been issued with snow boots and spikes to try and clear the mounting parcel backlog.

With just three days left until Christmas many people are still anxiously waiting on presents.

Royal Mail has apologised to customers and assured they are working hard to meet demand.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) in Liverpool said the express parcel service on Saturday carried out just 16 deliveries compared to up to 70.

And CWU branch secretary Mark Walsh revealed the controversial move of the Royal Mail sorting office from Copperas Hill in Liverpool to Warrington had caused problems.

He added: “A lot of staff from Liverpool and Crewe are usually picked up by bus and taken to Warrington but because of the weather it didn’t turn up. This was one of the issues we argued about before the city office was closed. People would have got into work if we were still in Liverpool.

The backlog of deliveries in the North West stands at around two million a few days ago, but that figure has dropped to 750,000.

Posties are reporting some of Merseyside’s large housing estates being impassable, particularly in Kirkby and Stockbridge Village.

Icy side streets are also causing headaches.

But Royal Mail are confident most gifts will be delivered and with the normal parcel collection cancelled on Thursday more staff will be freed up to concentrate on the backlog.

Extra resources have also been drafted in and overtime granted to get the service back on track.

Royal Mail said they sent out 500 delivery rounds on Sunday and promised to make evening deliveries of mainly packets on Wednesday and Thursday nights in Liverpool.


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