I am concerned about the increasingly common occurrence of residents in the Malmesbury area not receiving postal deliveries for extended periods, with some reporting a lack of post for up to two weeks at a time.

While undelivered subscription magazines and Christmas cards are an inconvenience, I have heard of alarming cases of individuals not receiving crucial medical appointment letters until after the appointment has passed. This situation is unacceptable and poses a very real risk to the well-being of the community.

As part of its universal service obligation, Royal Mail “must deliver to every address in the UK, every Monday to Saturday”. However, I believe that there is an acute shortage of postal workers in the region. Existing staff are unable to cope with the workload, so are forced to prioritize certain areas over others.

Last month OfCom fined the Royal Mail £5.6m for missing delivery targets. I suggest that this money would have been better spent filling vacancies and improving internal processes.

Our broken Royal Mail is yet another example of our Broken Britain, along with other privatised industries that prioritise shareholders over customers. A dependable mail service is an essential part of the fabric of our country – indeed, of any developed country. Yet this particular piece of fabric is now looking very ragged.

I implore OfCom and the government to take decisive action to ensure that residents in the Malmesbury area and beyond receive the postal services they need and deserve.

Sincerely,

Dr Roz Savage MBE

Liberal Democrat Candidate for the South Cotswolds