THE Post Office's delivery service has come under fire from a Wyre Forest and county councillor for its alleged repeated failure to deliver mail on time.

Stephen Clee described the service from Consignia as "absolutely disgraceful" and said he was "very concerned" a serious constituency problem could go unnoticed, or urgent mail could be lost.

He said agendas for last week's full district council meeting which had been franked first class and despatched from the post room at lunchtime on Friday, had only been delivered to him and some other colleagues on Tuesday and, in one case, on Wednesday morning.

"This is completely unacceptable.

"It does not provide sufficient time to study important documents and the council, which is paying for a first class service is getting a third rate one."

And he said there appeared to be a change in policy on delivering slightly overweight first class mail.

The addressee now received a card asking them to come and collect it from the sorting office.

Mr Clee said: "Four times in two weeks I have had a card delivered from the Post Office advising me to collect letters from their offices due to underpayment."

But he said he found it extremely difficult as a working person to call at Crossley Park sorting office during the day and his problem was only the "tip of the iceberg."

A spokesman for Consignia said they no longer gave addressees an opportunity on the doorstep to pay the difference in postal charges as the system was "messy."

But he said people could send off the difference in postage plus a handling fee to the sorting office and the post would get next day delivery.

He added 94.2 per cent of mail in the Kidderminster area which was first class was delivered the next day and invited Mr Clee to contact him with his specific concerns.