Royal Mail fails to deliver on targets

The Royal Mail today admitted it is unlikely to hit its targets for delivering letters on time due to disruption caused by strikes.

The reliability of first-class letter deliveries fell during the final months of last year to 84.9 per cent - compared with 91.5 per cent for the same period during the previous year.

For people trying to post letters in parts of the capital this comes as no surprise. Letter boxes in Maida Hill were sealed without warning, forcing residents to make alternative plans. It has now emerged the unusual measure, which involved the closure of 16 boxes, was taken because the postman lost the keys.

An elderly local resident who did not want to be named, said: "Apparently they've only got one key and they've lost it - which seems absolutely ridiculous."

But, stressing the need to take the drastic action, a Royal Mail spokesman said: "We could not risk someone getting hold of the keys and being able to open boxes. All mail to the boxes was collected before they were sealed. Six remaining boxes will be reopened by 1 March after the locks have been changed."

According to the Royal Mail the fall in reliability at the end of last year was due to the effect of strikes that disrupted deliveries. Postal workers in London took official action in a dispute over allowances. But there were also unofficial walkouts that caused a huge backlog of mail.

The Royal Mail faces fines if it fails to achieve its targets. Chief executive Adam Crozier said: "Our customers have suffered as a result of the industrial action in some parts of the UK in the autumn and I greatly regret that." He added that changes to the postal network would continue to affect some customers.