Deliveries suspended as posties in row over pavements

Post has not been delivered to a Staffordshire estate for four weeks in a stand-off with Royal Mail over the poor state of the pavements.

Royal Mail bosses suspended deliveries to four roads in Penkridge after a postman tripped on an uneven footpath on March 5 and suffered a serious injury.

Residents have had to travel seven miles to the Royal Mail depot in Stafford to pick up their letters.

The post has been stopped to Elm Walk, Lime Walk, Grange Road, and part of Wolverhampton Road.

Staffordshire County Council, which is in charge of most paths within the county border, says that the pavements on the Grange estate are the responsibility of residents as part of their contract with Wimpey, which built the homes.

Debbie Butler, of Grange Road, described the problem as "a nightmare" and said some of the residents were without post for a week before they realised what was going on.

Deliveries to some homes returned on Friday but others were today still without mail. Residents are due to hold talks to discuss what action to take next.

Royal Mail spokeswoman Val Bodden said the decision to suspend deliveries was "a last resort". She said: "We will not compromise on the safety of our colleagues.

"We have already apologised to customers and issued letters to the affected addresses explaining our position."

She added that Royal Mail is keen to resume deliveries to the estate as soon as improvements are made to the pavements.