DISRUPTIONS in mail deliveries are causing problems in some areas pf West Cumbria.

County councillor Keith Little, who lives in Flimby, said he had noticed a lack of regular mail and had received a complaint from another resident.

"I rang a number I was given and waited 61 minutes for my call to be answered. When I did get through I was told that there had been difficulties caused by staff absences.

"I noticed we did get a full delivery in Flimby the next day but this disruption is a concern - especially after Christmas. The bills arrive and must be paid and if they are not delivered and consequently not paid on time it can lead to problems."

The matter was raised by Maryport town councillors at a meeting on Monday with Mayor Peter Kendall asking for a letter to be sent to the Royal Mail requesting an explanation and how the delays could be prevented in the future.

It appears that Covid has been the major cause of disruptions.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “The vast majority of mail is delivered safely and on time. We aim to deliver to all addresses we have mail for, six days a week."

He said there have been problems in the CA15 area.

"In the local area, we are experiencing some delays to service due to high levels of sickness absence, Covid related self-isolation and resourcing issues.

"We apologise to any customers who may have experienced delays to their mail."

He added: "We have been working hard to get our levels of service back to normal as soon as possible.

"Anyone who has concerns over the delivery of their mail should contact the Royal Mail customer service team on 03457 740 740 or via the Royal Mail website www.royalmail.com.”