Royal Mail 'to stop delivering post on rainy days'

A number of businesses have been told they will not have mail delivered on rainy days after a postman slipped and injured himself on a wet pavement.

Royal Mail said it had been forced to suspend deliveries during "adverse wet weather conditions" after a postman slipped on algae and moss on the pavement and broke his shoulder.

Instead, customers in South Parade, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, have been told to collect their post from the town's main sorting office during bad weather.

Royal Mail spokeswoman Morag Turnbull said the safety of staff was paramount.

She said: "Last Friday, a member of staff slipped on algae and moss on the pavement at South Parade due to adverse wet weather and consequently broke his shoulder.

"Following a risk assessment of the area, we have notified Doncaster City Council of the danger posed by the poor condition of the pavement.

"We have explained to customers in South Parade that we must, only during adverse wet weather conditions, suspend deliveries to their address as a precautionary measure until the pavement surfaces are improved by Doncaster City Council.

"Customers will be able to collect their mail from Doncaster Delivery Office.

"We know this is inconvenient and we apologise to customers, but the safety and welfare of our staff is paramount and we only suspend deliveries if the safety of our postmen and women is at risk.

"Royal Mail delivers to almost 29 million addresses across the UK and so it is always a last resort if we decide not to deliver to a specific address or addresses."

Amanda Henwood, who runs an accountant's business from an office in South Parade, is one of several businesses to appeal against the decision.

Mrs Henwood said: "It is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

"There are no steps to our office. One property must have slippery steps but for some reason they are targeting the whole street.

"It will take a 30 minute round trip to get to the sorting office.

"It just isn't acceptable for them to tell us to collect our own post on days when the weather is wet.

"Will they pay for the time or the expense we will incur going to the sorting office?"

"The council are responsible for maintaining the walkways. The council don't seem to want to know," she added.

PA