Royal Mail defends its snow service in Derbyshire

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Royal Mail has responded to criticism of its service in Derbyshire during the past two weeks of snow and ice.

Postal deliveries in parts of the county have been severely disrupted after roads and driveways were judged too dangerous to walk on.

Pauline Latham, Conservative MP for Mid Derbyshire, says she's angry and plans to raise the issue with Business Secretary Vince Cable.

But Royal Mail says it has coped admirably with some testing conditions.

Both made their point in this morning's Phil Trow Breakfast Show on BBC Radio Derby.

PAULINE LATHAM

"I've had more complaints about this than anything else.

"People are irate because they've got small businesses or work from home and they think it's ludicrous that the people who are supposed to be delivering the mail are not doing so.

"These small businesses rely on cheques coming in so they can take them to the bank.

"We're in a difficult situation with the economy still and if these companies don't get the cheques they will be facing real difficulties.

"I've spoken to the Royal Mail in Derby and I'm also going to the sorting office in Belper tomorrow (Friday).

"I found the PR people so rude. They were saying they couldn't possibly send their workforce out in this sort of weather.

"But I said 'well it's not the first year we've ever had snow and they've always managed to get through before.'

"Are they not thinking about their customers? Clearly not.

"I'm very angry as are many people."

Royal Mail spokesman Mark Wilkinson

"I can understand peoples' anger. Obviously people want their post every day.

"Our posties have been doing a fantastic job in the circumstances.

"We've had sub-zero temperatures for ten days now and I'm pleased to say all the posties in Derby are out on the street today, although it's obviously very dangerous still.

"The three areas we've had problems with - Ilkeston, Ripley and Belper - have got posties back on the streets and we're looking to get straight by the end of play tomorrow (Friday).

"Yesterday we had five accidents - two of them very serious involving a triple fracture in a postlady's leg and a broken wrist.

"So we're still sustaining some very serious accidents and we've got to make the right judgement calls.

"We've been taking lots of precautions with the winter uniform but clearly that's still not enough because some of the side streets remain very dangerous and that's where we've been having the problems.

"The past two years have been very bad winters compared to the two before that which were very reasonable and the weather's not been an issue.

"But it's something we are looking at and reviewing on a weekly and monthly basis."

[ronnie6]

I live in Derbyshire and there is a postbox on a major through road, near where I live, outside a shop. The road is used daily by a steady flow of traffic and the snow/ice has been dug from around the postbox and the entrance to the shop to allow easy access. The box hasn't been emptied for at least three days and the post is falling out of the box into the street. I stood there today and two vans actually drove past me but the box still hasn't been emptied, despite numerous complaints.

[bobbla7896]

When the Earth is in its "Ice House" climate mode, there is ice at the poles. The polar ice sheet expands and contacts because of variations in the Earth's orbit (Milankovitch cycles). The last expansion of the polar ice sheets took place about 18,000 years ago. the next expansion of this globol expansion is around this time... looks like things are going to get really chilly folks... hope they have contingency plans in place.

[bobbla7896]