One south Essex postcode area may not receive any post today amid ongoing Royal Mail delivery issues.

Dozens of Rayleigh residents have complained of late deliveries and missing out on letters in recent weeks as Royal Mail has admitted it has been impacted by “high levels of sick absence, resourcing or other local factors”.

Now, those living in the SS6 area could face more delays today as the Rayleigh's office continues to be affected by issues in the delivery chain.

A statement on the Royal Mail website reads: "We aim to deliver to all addresses we have mail for, six days a week. In a small number of local offices, this may temporarily not be possible due to local issues such as high levels of sick absence, resourcing, or other local factors. In those cases, we will rotate deliveries to minimise the delay to individual customers.

"We also provide targeted support to those offices to address their challenges and restore our service to the high standard our customers would normally receive.

"We're sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding."

What are the last Royal Mail posting dates for Christmas?

Anyone planning to post Christmas cards and presents for loved ones will need to be quick, as the Royal Mail's final posting dates are next week. The final dates are:

  • Monday, December 18, for second class and second class signed for
  • Wednesday, December 20 for first class and first class signed for
  • Thursday, December 21 for special delivery guaranteed 
  • Friday, December 22 for guaranteed Saturday delivery for an extra fee