Birmingham Pensioner demands Royal Mail compensation in 'late letters' row

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Margaret Clarke said the issue has left her feeling 'angry'

A pensioner is demanding compensation from Royal Mail after her parking fine took too long to be delivered.

Margaret Clarke said she had to fork out £170 after three letters about the parking fine took so long to arrive that she was timed out of any appeal and missed the initial deadline to pay.

A letter from Royal Stoke University Hospital also took two months to arrive at her home, Margaret said.

The 72-year-old, who has cancer, has branded the postal service 'majorly incompetent'.

But Royal Mail has said that an investigation found letters are being delivered 'in a timely manner'.

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Margaret, from Newcastle-under-Lyme home, said: "I received a parking fine and wanted to appeal it but I couldn’t because apparently I’d already missed the opportunity to do so.

"I’d parked outside the lines when I was shopping, so I knew it was my fault. I was happy to pay the fine.

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"But because the letters were delivered so late I missed my opportunity to pay it off early.

"It’s cost me a lot of money. Instead of paying £60, I’ve ended up having to pay £170."

The retired nurse said she was left feeling 'angry' over the apparent mishap by Royal Mail, StokeonTrentLive reports.

She added: "I’m very angry about the hospital one coming late.

"It’s no joke when a hospital letter takes nearly two months to arrive.

"I could have missed my surgery and where would I have been then?

"Luckily I knew about the surgery before from the consultant.

"But they always send it to you in writing so you can read it and understand it in full.

"Getting it late affected me being able to do that.

"Royal Mail should compensate me - especially for the parking fine.

"I had to pay more because the letters were delivered late and that wasn’t my fault.

"I would have just paid £60 immediately. It was clear from the photo I was in the wrong.

"But now I’ve ended up having to pay £170. People deserve to know what’s happening.

"Because other people could end up missing documents that are even more important than what I was expecting."

Royal Mail investigated Margaret's complaint.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: "We are committed to ensuring all items of mail arrive on time.

"Our latest results show the vast majority of first class mail, which includes letters, arrives as expected.

"We have investigated deliveries for this address and can confirm all letters that enter the delivery office are being delivered to this route in a timely manner with deliveries being made every day.

"We will continue to ensure this is the case."