An Okehampton resident and former mayor has written to local civic leaders and the local MP asking them to lobby for action over the increasingly unreliable Royal Mail postal service affecting parts of Okehampton.

Mike Davies, an honorary alderman of West Devon borough and former mayor of West Devon and mayor of Okehampton, has written to the current mayor of Okehampton, Cllr Richard Colman, Devon county councillor James Grainger, the mayor of West Devon, Cllr Chris Edmonds, and Central Devon Conservative MP, the Rt Hon Sir Mel Stride.

Mr Davies is asking for the matter to be raised at future council meetings and Royal Mail lobbied to establish what action is being taken to restore a reliable postal service.

According to Mr Davies, some areas of Okehampton are now receiving postal deliveries just once a week, while others report only receiving deliveries only two or three times a month.

He says that first class letters are regularly taking three to four weeks to arrive, often being delivered in large bundles, giving the impression that mail has accumulated over a considerable period before delivery.

Mr Davies stressed that his concerns are not directed at the local postmen and women working extremely hard under difficult circumstances.

He said: “I have nothing but respect for the hardworking Royal Mail staff in Okehampton, both those working in the local delivery office and those delivering letters door to door.

“My concern is that they appear to be seriously understaffed and overworked. If there are simply not enough people to deliver the mail, then Royal Mail management needs to explain what it is doing to put the situation right.”

Mr Davies highlighted his own recent experience involving an official summons for jury service.

Mr Davies said: “This is not simply a matter of birthday cards or ordinary letters arriving late. My jury service notification took three weeks to reach me, yet I was expected to respond within 14 days.

“Fortunately, I managed to speak to someone by telephone who confirmed that my request for a postponement had been granted. The official letter confirming this did not arrive until three days after I should originally have started jury service. Had I not been able to contact someone by telephone, I could have been left in a very difficult position through absolutely no fault of my own.”

Mr Davies is particularly concerned about residents awaiting important hospital appointments, medical correspondence, financial documents and other time-sensitive information.

He said: “Many elderly and vulnerable residents still rely heavily on receiving letters through their front doors. Not everybody has access to a computer, smartphone or the internet. It is deeply concerning to think that somebody could miss an important hospital appointment simply because the letter notifying them arrived several weeks late.

“A reliable postal service is not a luxury. For many people it remains an essential part of everyday life.”

He has already contacted Royal Mail’s head office to raise his concerns.

He has been advised that the Okehampton area is currently understaffed, but says he was given no clear explanation about what action Royal Mail intends to take.

He said: “Royal Mail needs to be open with the public about the scale of the staffing problem and explain what practical steps are being taken to resolve it.”

Mr Davies has asked whether West Devon Borough Council could consider the matter as a public question at a future council meeting, and whether Okehampton Town Council could discuss the problem and make representations on behalf of the town.

He has also approached Devon county councillor James Grainger and Sir Mel Stride MP in the hope that further enquiries can be made.

Mr Davies is currently pursuing the matter through the postal regulator, seeking greater accountability and clarification of Royal Mail’s obligations to customers.

He concluded: “I am not seeking to criticise our local postal workers. Quite the opposite. I believe they deserve the staffing and resources necessary to do their jobs properly. What I am asking for is a straightforward explanation from Royal Mail about why these delays are happening, what is being done to resolve them, and when the people of Okehampton can expect to receive their post regularly again.

“The people of Okehampton deserve a reliable postal service, and I intend to continue raising this issue until we receive some meaningful answers.”

Royal Mail has been approached by this paper for a comment.