Anger at delays in postal deliveries - if it arrives at all

She says important documents have been badly delayed in the post or just gone missing.

And she says that many other people who get their post via the Dinnington Sorting Office – on Houghton Road in North Anston – have had similar experiences.

Rother Valley MP Jake Richards has been bombarded with complaints from constituents about local postal deliveries and is calling for action and an explanation.

Jill Thomas, who lives in Harthill, told the Advertiser that she had no post for a long time and only received some of it when she visited the Dinnington Sorting Office in person – adding that there was a queue of other people also there looking for their mail.

Miss Thomas said: “Post has not been arriving for three weeks and in that post there was an expected letter from HMRC, a letter about a probate application, as well as a doctor’s letter.”

She said that the postal delay had meant problems getting vital medication.

Miss Thomas said that she registered a complaint with Royal Mail using the proper channel – which she said was offshore – and some post arrived soon after “but of previous post none has arrived”.

Miss Thomas visited Dinnington Sorting Office – which is only open to the public between 8am and 10am on weekdays and 8am to noon on Saturdays - and said she was told there had been issues and that post should arrive, but it didn’t.

So she returned again.

She said: “I was told by someone there were no problems about post in Harthill”.

But post has continued to be delayed or undelivered.

She added: “I am not in isolation.

“On various Facebook pages for areas like Harthill there are people there who have not had post.

“When I visited Dinnington Sorting Office there were people in front of me complaining.

“I have written to my MP, Jake Richards. He said he would write to the regional manager with my and other complaints.”

MP Jake Richards said that postal delays in the area have become a big issue for residents – and even his own staff.

He said: “Residents across Rother Valley are continuing to face serious disruption due to ongoing postal delays, with important letters arriving late, community invitations turning up after events have taken place, and concerns growing over missed hospital, dental and other essential appointments.

“I am deeply disappointed and frustrated that this issue has now reached such a level that it must be raised publicly once again.

“For months, local people have been dealing with an unreliable postal service that is causing avoidable stress and inconvenience across our communities.

“My team and I work hard to plan, organise and deliver community engagement sessions throughout the constituency. These events are designed to ensure residents can access support, raise concerns and stay informed about issues affecting their area. Yet poor service levels are now actively undermining that work.”

Mr Richards said that recently his staff had sent 850 letters to households in the Whiston area informing residents about new flood defence schemes and inviting them to attend a street surgery on Friday April 10. Despite being posted well in advance, he said he was “dismayed” to learn that many residents had only started receiving those letters after the event had already passed.

Mr Richards said: “Let me be clear, this is not a criticism of hardworking local posties, many of whom are doing their best under significant pressure. The problem is systemic. It is an institutional failure that has persisted for months and is now affecting both my constituency work and the daily lives of residents.

“Most concerning of all is the impact on vital personal correspondence.

“People are reporting delayed letters relating to hospital appointments, dental appointments and other important communications that should never be left sitting in a backlog.

“Missing or receiving such letters late can have real consequences for people’s health, wellbeing and peace of mind.

“A full investigation into these continuing delays is urgently needed, alongside consideration of compensation for pre-paid postage costs where services have clearly not been delivered as expected.

“Residents deserve a postal service they can depend on.

“Right now, that trust is being eroded. Immediate reassurance, transparency and practical solutions are needed to address what is clearly going wrong and restore confidence in the service.”

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We know how important it is that letters, particularly those relating to health or financial matters, arrive as expected.

“Across the UK, 92 per cent of letters are delivered on time and 99.4 per cent arrive within a week, meaning longer delays are rare. We operate a large and complex network, and while the vast majority of mail reaches customers as it should, there can be short-term, localised issues which we work quickly to resolve.

“All items received at a delivery office are processed and delivered to the correct address. If a customer is expecting a specific item and it has not arrived, we would recommend contacting the sender in the first instance to confirm it has been posted and the address details are correct.”