A COLLEGE lecturer has said delays in the Royal Mail’s delivery service has led to a ‘nightmare’ situation’ where his students have been forced to rearrange their assessments.
Simon Lofting, who is a lecturer in marine engineering at South Essex College, said he ordered practical equipment two weeks ago for his students to sit their exams.
Because of poor postal service throughout much of Essex, however, has now had to postpone all their exams.
He said: “Personal post isn’t much of an issue – for me, it’s the students who have missed out on their practical work because the parts for their engines haven’t arrived.
“I don’t know when they can sit the assessments now, because I don’t know when my next post is going to arrive – and we paid extra to make sure the post came at a certain date and time.
“It’s a nightmare for us.”
Mr Lofting, who lives just outside Colchester, said friends had contacted the Royal Mail asking if they could collect their post, and were directed to the Colchester Delivery Office near East Street.
“Some people were told to drive to the office on the other side of Colchester – some have gone there and there still hasn’t been any post.”