THE big freeze “defeated” the postal service but the backlog is nearly cleared, says the county’s delivery chief.
David James, Royal Mail’s Herefordshire and Worcestershire delivery manager, said: “This is one of the first years that we’ve failed to deliver to our customers.
“But we do care and we’ve been doing our best to clear the backlog – things will be back to normal by New Year’s Eve.”
People in Claines and Worcester told your Worcester News they had post for the first time in nine days yesterday.
But Mr James said the dire winter weather had combined with the pre-Christmas post to hamper deliveries.
And some footpaths had just been “too dangerous” to walk along when postal workers were having to carry up to 16kgs of deliveries on icy pavements and ungritted driveways.
He also said there were staff on sick leave, particularly affecting operations at the Worcester Mail Centre in Wainwright Road.
In the past two weeks managers – including Mr James – have covered rounds and relief workers worked evening shifts to clear the massive backlog.
The scale of their task has been vast, with 600,000 packets and letters awaiting delivery each day in the run-up to Christmas.Your Vote
Are you still waiting for Christmas post?
Yes:
Blue bar used for ballot results 84%
No:
Yellow bar used for ballot results 16%
This hadn’t been helped by a surge of post from customers who found private mail couriers had stopped work altogether and sent parcels through the Royal Mail instead.
And some staff simply couldn’t get to work – the city was gridlocked following a crash on the M5 motorway following one snowfall.
“We did prioritise parcels on Christmas Eve rather than getting people their Christmas cards,” said Mr James.
“But people should have had their cards by today. In Worcestershire, we’re nearly back to normal but it depends on the weather.”
In Morrin Close, Claines, near Worcester, and surrounding roads, people had their first delivery for nine days.
David Payne, aged 76, got five Christmas cards in his post.
“I know the weather’s been foul but the paperboy managed to get out everyday.”
Dan Robb, in Ombersley Road, also had his first delivery for nine days yesterday.
The former milkman said: “When I was on a round 20 years ago, we never let a customer down.”
Yes, but which New Year's Eve ? 
