A street in East Dulwich has not had post delivered for six weeks, creating chaos, with bank cards going missing, parking fines increasing and hospital appointments being missed.
Landells Road residents said they have had problems with their post since 2018 when the East Dulwich sorting office closed and moved to Peckham, but never as bad as this.
One resident, Clare Brewer, said she had often had to wait more than a month for first class post, and residents are forced to go to the Peckham office to retrieve their post but are told there are “crates of unsorted post” for the street.
Ms Brewer said: “The staff member I spoke to said that the reason Landells Road has been affected so badly is that it was put on a route that is too long in January and so staff don’t want to do it.
“I asked why they don’t just change it and he told me the company won’t listen to them.
“There seems to be nothing we can do to get our post. They are effectively illegally withholding our post.”
Ms Brewer said two residents on the street claimed their bank cards they were expecting in the post had gone missing, with one resident claiming money had been withdrawn from their account with the card.
Another resident, Chris Robinson, 71, whose father was a postman for 30 years, said she had received a parking ticket after her disabled badge was stolen from her car, but did not receive the first letter so was unable to contest it.
The fine has since doubled to £130 as it was not paid within two weeks, and she now has to send an email to contest it but is not “computer literate”.
She said: “I don’t know how to send an email to them, this country is not fair for people like us.
“I feel like I’ve committed a crime, but I haven’t done anything wrong. My dad was a postman so I understand what they’re going through but I haven’t had any post for six weeks.
“It was my 52nd wedding anniversary weeks ago and I still haven’t received the card from my daughter.”
Mrs Robinson said she has arthritis and is waiting for correspondence from the hospital, but does not know if she has received an appointment yet.
She said: “How do I know that I don’t have an appointment from the hospital? I’m due an appointment. I won’t know will I?”
A Royal Mail spokesman said: “Every item of mail is important to us. We are very sorry for the recent delays that some customers have reported on Landells Road.
“The backlog at the local Delivery Office has now been reduced to minimal levels, and we are delivering mail to on Landell Road six days a week when there is mail to be delivered. This includes four days last week, and every day so far this week until today.”
