A ‘stand off’ over the collection of parcels from Thame’s post office that caused problems for people and businesses has been resolved.
For around a week Royal Mail staff refused to collect parcels through the front of the store where the post office is based saying the aisles are ‘too narrow’.
It came after collection staff were told they could no longer collect parcels from the rear of the High Street building.
As a result, many people had not been able to drop off parcels at the post office in Martin’s, although the store manager said staff were accepting items and taking them to the delivery office themselves.
The Post Office said the issue has now been resolved and apologised for any inconvenience caused.
Business owner Ian Wrigley said the dispute has been a major inconvenience to him and many other people.
Mr Wrigley said: “It seems amazing that Royal Mail have not been collecting mail from a post office.
“I can always go to another post office but that is the main one in the area and it is the most convenient for me.
“I know a lot of other people had been having the same problem.”
Speaking on Wednesday, before the dispute was resolved, the site manager said Royal Mail were contractually obliged to pick up the post, ‘wherever that may be from’.
A Martin’s spokeswoman said the way Royal Mail had been collecting post, through the back of the store, was a breach of post office security rules.
The spokeswoman said the management knew it was an unacceptable situation to put customers in and that they were working hard to find a solution.
On Thursday, a Post Office spokeswoman said: “The Post Office apologises to customers for any inconvenience caused by the changes to Royal Mail collections at Thame Post Office. The issue has now been resolved and a normal service will resume.”
