Postie fails to deliver to elderly Oxford residents

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/resources/images/6658031/ELDERLY residents say postmen are failing to deliver to a street in Oxford after large barriers blocked access to residents’ front doors.

People in Faulkner Street over the last few weeks say they have had to resort to flagging down their postie or walking 20 minutes to their nearest post office for their letters and packages.

Their front doors have been blockaded by wire barriers erected for work to be carried out on the pavement outside outside the new Westgate Centre.

With no access to their letterboxes, the postman has been unable to deliver important letters and parcels.

Faulkner Street residents Ken and Jean Newman, both in their late 80s, say they are fraught with worry they will miss letters from the hospital.

Mrs Newman said: “Ken has got an appointment about his knee but we do not know if it is going to be cancelled or rearranged because we cannot get any letters.

“It is very worrying and we do not want to miss something important.

“I am 88 and my husband is 89 so we cannot easily walk to the post office

“My daughter has been a few times but when she has gone, our post is still out with the postman.”

Their daughter Karen Mawema, who lives near to the John Radcliffe Hospital, said she has had to confront the postman on several occasions to come to a solution.

The 56-year-old added: “I spoke to the postman the other day and asked if he could deliver my parents post via their back door. He told me he was not able to do that.

“There has been no agreement or plan put in place with Royal Mail to make sure my parents and their neighbours, some of whom are also quite elderly, get their post.”

Another Faulkner Street resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said she had managed to flag down the postman after not receiving any letters for two weeks.

She said: “I had a huge pile of letters, including bank statements and an important letter from the hospital.

“We are all up in arms here about this, we cannot keep waiting at our windows.”

Royal Mail spokeswoman Sally Hopkins said: “We apologise to customers in Faulkner Street for any disruption to mail deliveries as a result of work on the pavement outside their properties.

“We are now attempting deliveries to customers via the rear of their properties if we are able and it is safe to do so.

Customers can call Royal Mail on 03457 740 740.

[greengiant]

Surely the residents would have been forewarned of the building works, giving them time to make arrangements to get a friend / relative / carer to call and collect mail, or make arrangements for temporary delivery to the back door?

[clashcityrocker]

snigger snigger snigger.......

[Lounge Lizard]

it all goes to prove what a vital service we provide to everyone.

[rubberbond]

it all goes to prove what a vital service we provide to everyone.

As usual, it's never noticed until it's not there.