Post customers have slammed a service that is "not fit for purpose" after waiting up to two weeks for their mail due to high levels of staff sickness, including isolation from the Covid-19 virus.

Woodbridge residents are still waiting for vital deliveries, including legal and medical documents, because workers at the Royal Mail sorting office in Cumberland Street, Woodbridge, are having to self-isolate.

Instead, some customers have been taking matters into their own hands by turning up at the office in person to collect their correspondence.

Customer Karen Hardwicke, who lives in Bromeswell, said she had not received two guaranteed delivery parcels.

She added: “I am shocked. People will be waiting for parcels, legal documents, time-related items etc. A service we pay for and is not fit for purpose. When we rang Royal Mail they stated it takes 10 days to investigate.”

On her Facebook page, a number of other customers have posted messages describing how they had been affected by the problems with postal deliveries.

Pettistree resident Pauline Mitchell said she had been expecting to receive a guaranteed parcel, but nothing had arrived.

Tina Brooks in Woodbridge had also been waiting for a parcel, while Andie Childs had not received any post for two weeks after the regular delivery officer went on annual leave.

Another customer, Allan Cole, said residents served by the Woodbridge hub had not received either a service, or an explanation for the lack of service, for more than a week.

He believed nine staff were currently off sick and the remainder were struggling with the extra workload.

He added: “Apparently if you appear at Cumberland Street with Proof of ID etc you can collect your mail.

“I hear in the grapevine some people have been really upset as they were awaiting urgent legal and medical correspondence. Luckily, I am not in that group.”

A spokesperson for Royal Mail said: “The vast majority of mail is delivered safely and on time. We aim to deliver to all addresses we have mail for, six days a week.

“In the local area, we are experiencing some delays to service due to high levels of sickness absence, Covid-related self-isolation and resourcing issues.

“We apologise to any customers who may have experienced delays to their mail. We have been working hard to get our levels of service back to normal as soon as possible.”

Anyone with concerns over their mail deliveries should contact the Royal Mail customer service team on 03457 740740 or via the Royal Mail website www.royalmail.com.