ROYAL Mail has said it is sorry for any delays to the post in Looe – and that it has put in place a contingency plan to minimise future hold-ups. 

In some parts of Looe, there have been reports from people getting only a sporadic delivery of letters. One resident said that they receive their mail only around once a week, while another said it had been ‘nearly three weeks’ since they had any post.  People have raised concerns that they feel some streets are not getting covered by a regular round. 

Phillipa Day in West Looe told the Cornish Times that she had started going to the calling office on the other side of town to collect her own post in person. 

Hers is a specific situation: her household along with others in Beech Terrace were asked in 2021 to make alternative arrangements for receiving their post, as Royal Mail said that with an increase in traffic on the road, it felt that delivering to the front of the houses had become too dangerous. 

After a “lot of to-ing and fro-ing” over the matter, Phillipa says she eventually had a letter box installed at the rear of her home – but she says since around October 2022, she has “had no regular delivery” and only about two lots of post through her new letterbox. 

“We reluctantly agreed to get a letter box at our own expense in our back door and we also provided a place for parcels,” she said. 

Phillipa continued: “But then post just stopped arriving. Our neighbours have had the same issues. When we go and get our post, and ask why it’s not being delivered, it’s met with shoulder shrugs. We’ve had hospital appointments and medical results held back in the bundle of post we’ve had to retrieve ourselves. Other delivery companies have no problem at all delivering to our address. 

“I know quite a few people in West Looe, not just in our Terrace, who haven’t been getting their post, so I think it’s a combination of issues.” 

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are very sorry for the delays reported in West Looe. If these customers would like to pass Royal Mail their details through the Cornish Times, we will get in touch to discuss resolving their complaints.  

“This follows a period of higher than normal sick absence, together with some resourcing issues and the industrial action taken by members of the Communication Workers Union. We have put in place a contingency plan to minimise future delays, including in the event of any further industrial action. Deliveries are currently taking place six days a week on days when there is mail to be delivered. Anyone who has concerns over the delivery of their mail should contact the Royal Mail customer service team on 03457 740 740 or via the Royal Mail website www.royalmail.com.”