WESTON residents have been asked by Royal Mail to pick up their own parcels.

WESTON residents have been asked by Royal Mail to pick up their own parcels.

The postal giant has admitted it has been sending out less experienced staff’ to put slips through people’s doors during the recent strikes in order to clear a backlog.

The notes asked if they go to the sorting office in Warne Road to pick up their parcel.

The Weston & Somerset Mercury was contacted by concerned resident and former postal worker Sandra Sellers, who says she was at her daughter Annemarie’s house in Camden Terrace, Weston, when a slip came through the door.

Sandra, who used to work for Royal Mails’ sales department in Bristol, says they raced after the postman but he drove off.

The grandmother-of-six, who lives in Goosey Lane, St Georges, said: “The post arrived and my daughter went to collect it only to see the card saying sorry we weren’t in and could we pick the parcel up from the sorting office.

“We were left open-mouthed.”

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We are currently working hard to clear a backlog of packet mail that built up during the recent industrial action.

“We apologise to customers, but due to the volumes of mail involved, the less experienced temporary members of staff were asked to deliver the cards to customers to give them the option to collect their parcel more quickly under these exceptional circumstances.

“This practice has now ceased as the backlog eases.”

As the Weston & Somerset Mercury went to press the planned industrial action for Tuesday had not gone ahead and more negotiation talks were planned with members of the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU). For the latest updates log onto www.royalmail.com/ update

• Pictured: Sandra Sellers at her front door.