Royal Mail refuses to deliver to Victorian street over 'health and safety' fears from uneven pavement

Royal Mail have infuriated residents on a quiet, leafy street by refusing to deliver because of wonky paving slabs.

Homeowners on ‘The Villas’ in Stoke, Staffs, have to make a four-mile round trip to collect post due to health and safety fears over the state of their pavement.

Postmen are refusing to deliver to The Villas after it became a no-go street due to 'a number of incidents involving colleagues falling and slipping'.

Residents on the private road said their mail had been delivered without a problem for 150 years and criticised Royal Mail for not giving them any warning.

Elderly resident Alfred Poole, 79, branded the move 'barmy' and said: 'Its health and safety gone mad.

'I'm an old man and if I can manage the paving slabs, I'm sure the postman can. I haven't got a car and I can't walk four miles to fetch my post. It's just ridiculous.'

Julian Wilshaw, 38, who lives with his partner Sarah and daughter Jessica, added: 'It came out of the blue.

'Royal Mail deliver to the likes of the Isle of Skye and the Hebrides – we’re just The Villas, in Stoke.

'I have sympathy for the postmen if they’ve hurt themselves, but we don’t know what the problem is, and Royal Mail have been delivering to us for years.

A total of 40 households and over 100 residents have been affected by the ban.

The estate's residents' association has asked Royal Mail to identify which areas need repairing but say it would cost tens of thousands of pounds to tarmac the entire stretch.’

Martin Parker, 52, secretary of The Villas Residents’ Association, said: 'The letter said one postman had injured themselves a month ago, and we were told it happened again a couple of days before the letter was sent.

'It would have been sensible for them to speak to us, and it’s bizarre Royal Mail has taken this rather extreme stance.

'The road is not slippery, our bins are emptied and post had been delivered here for a very long time.’

Doug Burnham, 49, who has lived on The Villas for 15 years, added: 'It’s a very difficult situation. I can’t see how our neighbourhood differs from any other neighbourhood.

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A Royal Mail spokesperson said: 'We have taken the decision to suspend deliveries to a small number of addresses after a number of incidents involving colleagues falling and slipping.

'Our priority is the safety of our people and we apologise to customers.'