THE Royal Mail has expressed its gratitude to residents in Grays who have been affected by delays to post delivery services in the pre and post Christmas rush.

Speculation has been rife on social media in many6 Grays communities about problems with the local delivery service in the west of the borough and now Royal Mail has confirmed the adverse impact of a significant rise in the amount of mail and parcels to be sorted allied to the impact of Covid-19 which has taken toll on local workers.

A statement from the Royal Mail when asked about its service in Grays says: "A Royal Mail spokesperson said: "Throughout the pandemic, every decision we make puts the health of our people and customers first. From the start of this crisis, we have always said that despite our best endeavours, it is possible that some areas of the country may experience a reduction in service levels due to COVID-related absences and necessary social distancing measures at local mail centres and delivery offices.

"The combination of greatly increased uptake of online Christmas shopping, in no small part driven by the recent lockdown, and the ongoing COVID restrictions mean that all delivery companies are experiencing exceptionally high volumes this year. Every single parcel, letter and card is important to us.

"We remain grateful to all our customers for their patience and understanding as our dedicated workforce work hard to deliver these exceptional volumes, whilst also adhering to necessary social distancing measures."