ROYAL Mail has denied that there are any postal disruptions in Andover.

The Advertiser has been inundated with emails from concerned residents over the past few months, detailing instances of late delivery for crucial items such as hospital appointment letters and other important mail.

Despite these complaints, some of which are sent directly to Royal Mail CEO, it has not included Andover in the list of areas officially facing disruptions.

A Royal Mail spokesperson acknowledged that there are staffing issues at the Andover delivery office but insisted that there are no widespread disruptions.

Andover Advertiser: A Royal Mail van outside the Test Valley Borough Council office in Andover

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The spokesperson said: “I can confirm we are delivering to every address on alternate days if that household has mail to be delivered. Not every home has mail to be delivered daily.

“This is a temporary solution while we recruit more permanent and temporary staff. This means that if a person has mail, they will receive it the following day.”

The statement came when the Advertiser contacted Royal Mail seeking to speak to the responsible manager and find a permanent solution for the ongoing postal issues in the region.

The Royal Mail has a dedicated webpage listing areas experiencing disruptions, and as of Friday, November 17, Andover was not included.

When the Advertiser highlighted the complaints from residents, the spokesperson questioned whether the majority of 47,000 people in Andover are experiencing delays.

The spokesperson said: “You may have seen the coverage of the Ofcom fine. The regulator reported that with elements outside of the control of Royal Mail, our quality of service is on average 82 per cent First Class (next working day) and 95.5 per cent Second Class (three working days). We are committed to improving this.”

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Reiterating the situation in Andover, the spokesperson said: “The local delivery office has been impacted by high levels of sickness absence and vacancies. This has caused some delays.

“We are working to improve the service, and as a temporary solution, while we recruit more staff, we are currently delivering to addresses on alternate days.

“This means if a person has mail to be delivered, they will receive it the following day. We are committed to improving our deliveries and have an action plan in place to improve our performance in Andover.”