Royal Mail staff say they were told to hide post to look like delivery targets met
BBC Your Voice hears from postal workers who say "take the mail for ride" is a common phrase.
By BBC News
Postal workers at Royal Mail have alleged that managers instructed them to conceal undelivered mail to artificially inflate delivery figures and meet performance targets. The claims, voiced through BBC Your Voice, paint a picture of systemic pressure within the organisation, where staff say they were told to "take the mail for a ride" – a phrase reportedly used to describe hiding letters and parcels in vehicles or depots to make routes appear completed.
One anonymous postal worker from the North West, including areas around Cheshire, described the practice as routine. "It's common knowledge among the roundsmen," he told the BBC.
"You get to the end of your shift, you've got a bag of mail left, and the instruction is clear: don't bring it back. Take it for a ride around the block or stash it somewhere safe until tomorrow." Such tactics, workers claim, allow supervisors to sign off on targets while the mail piles up unseen.
The revelations come amid ongoing turmoil at Royal Mail, now operating as International Distributions Services (IDS) following its rebranding. The company has faced mounting criticism over delivery delays, with complaints surging in recent years.
Ofcom, the telecoms and postal regulator, reported a sharp rise in consumer grievances last year, many citing late or missing post. In Cheshire alone, local businesses and residents have voiced frustration, with market towns like Nantwich and Knutsford seeing disrupted services affecting everything from urgent invoices to birthday cards.
Royal Mail has vehemently denied the accusations of deliberate hiding. A spokesperson stated: "These claims are completely untrue.
We have robust processes to ensure all mail is delivered safely and on time." The company pointed to its use of handheld scanners and GPS tracking to monitor routes, insisting that any undelivered items are logged transparently. However, insiders counter that pressure to hit daily targets – often set aggressively post-privatisation – creates incentives for corner-cutting.
The "take it for a ride" phrase has become a grim insider joke, according to multiple sources. Workers recount loading vans with extra fuel for pointless loops or parking up in industrial estates to kill time.
One driver from Crewe said: "I've done 50-mile detours on a five-mile round just to make the numbers stack up. It's exhausting and dishonest." Such practices, if widespread, could explain why Royal Mail's own data shows delivery performance hovering around 90 per cent on time, while customer surveys tell a different story.
This scandal echoes past controversies at the postal service. In 2023, whistleblowers exposed similar issues during a CWU union strike, with leaked memos suggesting manipulated stats.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU), representing over 100,000 Royal Mail staff, has seized on the latest claims. General secretary Dave Ward called it "industrial-scale fraud" and demanded an independent inquiry.
"Our members are on the front line, bearing the brunt of unrealistic targets while executives pocket bonuses," Ward said. The union is balloting for fresh industrial action, potentially disrupting services across Cheshire and beyond.
Locally, the implications hit hard. Cheshire's rural posties cover vast areas, from the Cheshire Plain to the Pennines' foothills.
Delays mean farmers in Delamere Forest wait weeks for vet supplies, while high street shops in Chester struggle with stock replenishment. One Macclesfield retailer told Cheshire Today: "We've lost customers because online orders from Royal Mail partners arrive late.
It's killing small businesses." Economically, reliable post is vital for the county's £5 billion logistics sector, intertwined with nearby hubs like Manchester Airport and Warrington's distribution parks. Ofcom is now investigating following the BBC report.
The regulator has powers to fine Royal Mail up to 10 per cent of its turnover – potentially hundreds of millions – if misconduct is proven. Previous probes led to compensation schemes for affected customers, and more could follow.
"We're looking into these serious allegations," an Ofcom spokesperson confirmed. "Consumers deserve a service they can trust."
Royal Mail's woes stem from broader challenges.
Universal service obligations require six-day letter delivery, but parcel volumes have exploded with e-commerce, straining an ageing fleet. The company posted losses of £319 million last year, blaming strikes and inflation.
Efforts to modernise, like drone trials in Cumbria and electric vans in urban centres, haven't yet eased frontline pressures. In Cheshire, pilot schemes for automated sorting in Runcorn have been trialled, but workers say they exacerbate target squeezes.
Critics argue the root issue is privatisation. Floated on the stock market in 2013, Royal Mail was meant to thrive on competition, but rivals like Evri and DPD have cherry-picked lucrative parcels, leaving the universal service provider with unprofitable letters.
MPs on the Business Select Committee have called for government intervention, possibly relaxing the six-day mandate. For Cheshire residents, the story underscores everyday vulnerabilities.
Pensioners relying on cheques, small firms dispatching crafts from home workshops – all hinge on the postie’s knock. If "taking mail for a ride" is as endemic as claimed, it erodes trust in a service that's been a British institution for 500 years.
Royal Mail insists it's addressing concerns through staff training and tech upgrades. Yet as winter weather bites and Christmas looms – historically the peak of complaints – the pressure mounts.
Will regulators force change, or will unions' strikes return? For now, postal workers in depots from Ellesmere Port to Congleton watch warily, wondering if speaking out will bring reform or retaliation.
The saga highlights a tension between efficiency drives and service integrity. As one veteran postie put it: "We're not thieves; we're just surviving a broken system." With Ofcom's probe underway, answers – and perhaps accountability – may finally arrive.