Pensioner plays postwoman after TNT Post service let down

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A pensioner has been forced to turn postwoman after the professionals failed to do the one thing required of the role – deliver letters to the right address.

Marilyn Blum decided to take matters into her own hands after noticing TNT Post had pushed letters for a neighbouring street through her door in the heart of St John’s Wood.

Mrs Blum picked up the post herself, and headed off to to deliver it to the right addresses.

Her anger with the company – a private operation which works in opposition to the Royal Mail – was compounded by the discovery that a friend living in nearby Townsend Road found her letters had been left in the communal area of her block.

Mrs Blum, 78, fears leaving the post – which mainly comes from big businesses, like Barclays Bank – out in the open, leaves her friend open to theft and fraud.

She said: “Her mail could have been lying there for three days for all she knows. The problem is they employ people who do not know the area.”

And it seems these are not the only problems TNT Post has had since starting up their operation in St John’s Wood and other parts of the capital.

Jim Kirwan, CWU London regional secretary, said: “This isn’t the first issue that’s come about since TNT Post has been operating in central London. It’s important to hold all postal companies to the same standards.

“TNT seem to want a race to the bottom over employment standards whereas we feel that if staff are treated fairly and paid a decent wage then it’s unlikely incidents such as this will occur.”

But TNT Post defended themselves against the allegations.

A spokesman said they were “of course disappointed by these reported cases of mis-delivery”, adding: “Complaints of this nature are rare and when issues do occur we will make every effort to rectify them.

“In terms of service quality, we make every effort to deliver mail on the first attempt.

“However, sometimes despite our best efforts, human nature means that we cannot always live up to the standards we set ourselves.

“Sadly, other mail delivery companies also experience problems with their operatives who deliver mail.”