Royal Mail has named Hampton in Richmond borough on its list of areas hit by COVID-19 postal delays.
The postal service has said that it is experiencing resourcing issues in 21 areas, which also includes South Woodford, Lewisham and Ilford, and delivery in these places is likely to be limited.
This is due to workers being off sick or self-isolating.
However, Hampton residents have been sympathetic to the situation.
Sally Hornsey, a local business owner who has lived in Hampton for 24 years, said: “Our postman told us how stretched they are at the moment due to staff sickness.
“The postal delays haven’t had a big impact on our business. Sometimes the delivery is later in the day than we’re used to but we can manage that.
“Our Hampton posties are nothing short of lovely – always friendly, cheerful and with a big wave if I see them when I’m out.”
Royal Mail said: “Every single parcel and letter is important to us.
“Despite our best efforts and significant investment in extra resource, some customers may experience slightly longer delivery timescales than our usual service standards.”
The postal service thanked customers for their patience and reassured that they will return to service as usual as quickly as they can.
They have also advised that people in affected areas who miss parcels and receive a ‘Something for you’ card should check the revised opening hours of their local Customer Service Points before attempting to collect their parcels.
However, if you miss a parcel and Royal Mail have not left a ‘Something for you card’, there are no alternative arrangements in place and this mail will not be available for collection.
Service updates can be found on the Royal Mail website.
You can read of issues with Royal Mail deliveries in other SWL areas here.
Featured image credit: Lionel Allorge
