Anger as Royal Mail struggles to deliver in Telford

The big freeze has hit deliveries across the town with many residents not getting any mail since last Thursday due to the cold snap which set in on Friday. The Royal Mail today apologised to residents for the delays in deliveries, citing the 'severe winter weather conditions'.

But Mike Ridley, from Hillside, Lilleshall, said: "We've got a neighbour who's waiting for a hospital appointment to come through and is getting quite stressed.

"Even the Germans couldn't stop the post getting through. It's pathetic."

Corrina Jones, from Dawley, said she had post on Thursday as normal but just one letter yesterday. She said: "Normally we have more than one letter in three days.

We're actually waiting for a large cheque – good job it's not a make or break cheque."

Meanwhile, businesses across the county were also suffering as deliveries failed to arrive and payments and bills were not getting through.

A spokeswoman for Wellington Cottage Care said their deliveries had been affected by the bad weather.

She said: "We did not have a delivery last Friday, or on Monday, when we were closed. However, we did have had some post today."

Wedding and evening dress retailers Champagne and Roses, in Madeley, are also struggling with letters not arriving on time.

Wendy Arthur, who works at the store, said: "We are just not getting it on time. People are saying they have sent it but we have not got it yet.

"The post has been delivered but it is late. We do expect it though with the weather, people are only human after all."

Royal Mail spokesperson Mike Norman said: "We apologise to customers who are experiencing delays to their deliveries in the Shropshire area as a result of the continued severe winter weather conditions there.

"A range of measures have been put in place to ensure deliveries reach people as quickly as possible.

"We are doing our utmost to ensure continued deliveries, but it may not be possible to do so everywhere because of the weather."