School mail 'returned to sender'

9:08am Friday 28th March 2008

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Schools in Watford currently closed during their Easter break may discover they are missing post when pupils return to class next month.

Primary, junior and secondary schools were once offered a free Keepsafe service from Royal Mail, whereby their post was collected at the sorting office and delivered when they reopened after a holiday.

Royal Mail, however, have begun to charge schools for the service and as many have failed to open an account, their undelivered mail is being destroyed unless the letter or parcel has a return address.

A source inside Watford Sorting Office, in Ascot Road, said postal workers were instructed to destroy all undelivered mail addressed to schools, including registered and recorded deliveries, on Wednesday.

They said: "Because they're not getting delivered, because the address is 'inaccessible', postmen are being asked to kill them off. Normally the mail is kept until the holiday has finished and then delivered.

"This is outrageous customer service for schools that have to close."

Alan Walsh, secretary of the Watford branch of the Communication Workers Union, confirmed mail for schools was no longer kept free of charge.

He said: "Over the last year Royal Mail have written to schools and said if they're not going to be there, they have to set up a Keepsafe account which they have to pay for. A lot of schools haven't done it.

"Royal Mail said if they're not doing it, any letters that come through they will destroy or return."

When asked about the destruction of mail belonging to schools in Watford, Royal Mail did not offer a response.

A representative, however, said: "Royal Mail operates in an open market under a regulatory licence, which requires us to treat all our customers equally and fairly.

"It would not be fair - nor is it possible under the terms of our licence - to charge some customers for a Keepsafe service (or one of the other services for dealing with mail while the customer is away) while providing the service free to other customers."