Surrey - Clearing the post backlog kicks off

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/news ... ticle.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

POSTAL workers will be frantically sorting through a backlog of Christmas cards and parcels this week following the aftermath of the heavy snowfall.

Delivery services ground to a halt last week, with some residents claiming they hadn't received post for a week, as letters and parcels built up at Redhill's delivery office in Noke Drive.

Post Office employees were trapped by the snow and unable to get to the area's central mail centre in James Watt Way, Gatwick, causing a knock-on effect to regional offices in Horley, Redhill and Reigate.

Visible signs of chaos included letterboxes spewing over with undelivered letters and piles of post almost toppling over in local delivery and sorting offices.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We apologise to those customers who have experienced delays to their deliveries as a result of the severe weather.

"We are continuing to deliver to the vast majority of addresses but, in some cases, it is not possible to do so because of the weather."

Ian Hunt, of Redstone Manor, Redhill, said he unsuccessfully tried to post an urgent package to Gloucestershire as well as collect an important piece of mail – a tax disc – at Noke Drive.

He told The Mirror: "I was not alone in expecting the collection office to at least be open. At the gate was another customer who I recognised as an ex-Government cabinet minister and local resident, Edwina Currie, who was also expecting important mail.

"We were confronted with firmly locked gates and, even though we knew our post was locked inside, we had to concede defeat and walk away."

Meanwhile in The Belfry's WH Smith's post office, a queue of customers, waiting to be served, snaked out of the shop on Friday.

Photographer, Mr Hunt, said: "Perplexed customers were being told at the counter there were no collections or deliveries being made, no idea of when items might reach their destinations, and just for good measure there was a sign saying they would be shutting at 1.30pm due to bad weather.

"Letterboxes which were full to bursting had notices asking people not to add any more mail and separate bags were available for customers to drop their mail into."

Some mail did get through including to remote places, such as Farleigh near Warlingham, despite a foot of snow. This area is covered by the Croydon sorting office.

Mr Hunt added: "My late grandfather was a postman in Gloucestershire and I remember him delivering letters on Christmas Day to outlying farms and villages. He and another uncle who proudly worked for the Post Office all his life would be spinning in their graves if they could see the Royal Mail halted in its tracks for days by 'bad weather'."

Royal Mail service updates are available on http://www.royalmail.com/serviceupdates" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[steviemac]

to put this in context, Gatwick airport which has dedicated teams and equipment could not keep the runways clear and closed for 3 days, the DO's mentioned are within 3-10 miles of Gatwick. 15cm of snow came down within 3 days in the RH and CR postcodes , trains from Victoria BR (London) were suspended for 3 days covering the Surrey and West Sussex commuter lines as overnight temperatures reached minus 5. This is a malicious piece of journalism and an example of editors ignoring facts to grab a headline .... disgraceful practice.

The link below is an article from the same paper saying the compete opposite
http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/news ... ticle.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[clashcityrocker]

Mr Hunt added: "My late grandfather was a postman in Gloucestershire and I remember him delivering letters on Christmas Day to outlying farms and villages. He and another uncle who proudly worked for the Post Office all his life

Isn't that nepotism?
So it isn't just Kent MC.