CONCERNS continue to mount today that Hampshire's postal service remains in crisis.

A massive belt-tightening exercise has crippled deliveries across the county, triggering scores of complaints.

The Daily Echo has been inundated with calls and letters from fed up residents who claim they are waiting up to a week for their post.

Business leaders have also threatened to take legal action because cheques and other important documents have been delayed by several days - or haven't turned up at all.

A severe shortage of postmen and unusual levels of sickness in the workforce is having a knock-on effect.

Across the Easter weekend some sorting offices have been left with a huge backlog of mail which failed to go out on time.

According to one postman, who didn't want to be named, there were piles of parcels, presents and flowers stacked up in the offices.

He said: "It's the worst I've ever known it."

Other postal workers have contacted us saying they are ashamed to wear their uniforms while the service is in such disarray.

The problems seem to have come about after Royal Mail scrapped its second daily delivery to shave a fifth off its running costs.

Now industry regulator Postwatch is threatening to take action against Royal Mail unless it gets its act together.

Gary Hepburn, regional manager for the South West region, said: "We would urge anyone with any problems at all to contact us as soon as they can so we can put a picture together and get to grips with what's happening with Royal Mail.

"We need to gather some evidence to look into it. Any complaints we receive will be investigated.

"Royal Mail is required by law to do a daily delivery. If people are not getting a daily delivery we would want to take that up very seriously."

A spokesman for Royal Mail welcomed the Postwatch investigation. He said: "We see Postwatch as an extra set of eyes. They get a different slant on problems. They have been involved in single delivery service from day one.

"They like to challenge us from time to time and we welcome that - that's what they're there for."

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