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Royal Mail staff tell BBC letters sit undelivered as firm prioritises parcels

Staff shortages, higher sickness, and restricted overtime have led Royal Mail to prioritise parcels, causing delays in letters across over 100 UK postcodes, including 38 offices flagged most affected.

  • Royal Mail staff told the BBC that letters were left undelivered while parcels were prioritised, but Royal Mail said most mail is delivered and service is returning to normal.
  • Staff say restricted overtime since January and staff shortages forced prioritisation of deliveries, while a Royal Mail spokesperson blamed storms Goretti, Ingrid and Chandra, higher sick absence, parcel volumes and vehicle shortages.
  • Photographs supplied to the BBC show full racks and trays left in depots, including a first-class tray reportedly sitting for two weeks; parcels are always prioritised, as tracked parcels affect depot performance statistics daily.
  • Hundreds of customers told the BBC they missed NHS appointments and lost bank statements and school certificates, while Ofcom has fined Royal Mail £37m in recent years and vows to hold it to account.
  • The wider context includes the ED Group takeover and ongoing Communication Workers Union dispute talks, with a pilot of slower delivery targets in 35 offices but no expansion to all 1,200 Royal Mail sites serving nearly two million postcodes under six days per week delivery rules.
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BBC News broke the news in United Kingdom on Monday, February 16, 2026.
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