An MP has written to Royal Mail bosses over delivery “chaos” as the city endures post arriving weeks late and a shortage of posties.
There have been complaints for months about slow deliveries in Brighton and Hove which have caused some people to miss hospital appointments.
Residents have also expressed their anger at the sorting offices in the city slashing opening hours to four hours a day.
Royal Mail staff have even claimed that when employees go on leave no one is covering their rounds to deliver post, according to Peter Kyle, Labour MP for Hove.
Opening times at sorting offices in the city have been slashed. Pictured is the Brighton sorting office (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)
He has written to Royal Mail bosses over the delivery times and opening hours.
Mr Kyle said: “Residents have had enough. Bosses need to resource the service instead of running it down. I love our posties but they need help.
“I have contacted the customer operations manager at Portslade Delivery, who has confirmed they are experiencing ‘resourcing issues’ but staff tell me that staffing levels are below pre-2020 and that when staff are on leave, for example, no one is covering their rounds.
“My success has been to get two new posties employed with Royal Mail next month in Portslade and to get temporary staff cover over summer. I shall be watching this closely.
“It’s been heartbreaking to hear of people not receiving birthday cards, of missed hospital appointments and of people waiting weeks for important documents.”
Karen Barton, a Portslade resident, said she has had trouble with getting post delivered since last year.
She said: “Last December I did not receive mail for six weeks and waited this length of time for a new bank card which was a challenge.
“I even tried to collect it from the sorting office but when I got there I was told there was no chance and that all the post was piled up all over the floor.
“I had a significant birthday this week and I'm sorry to say I haven't received any of my cards in the post from friends and family who sent them a week or more ago by first class.
“Although this seems trivial, it is a shame that my friends and family went out of their way to ensure the cards would arrive in plenty of time and they are not here.”