Norwich Evri and Royal Mail deliveries cause Christmas chaos

Hope of some late deliveries looks to be slim as well with Royal Mail staff striking for a second time today and tomorrow - having already staged a 48-hour walkout earlier in the month.

It comes after Evri parcels were also found littering streets near a warehouse in Bowthorpe as they waited to be loaded into delivery vehicles, amid much criticism of the firm.

The ensuing pandemonium has impacted both businesses and city folk alike, with a post-Christmas backlog likely to take time to work through.

Kerri Notman, owner of the Leslie Terrance Shop in Magdalen Road, stopped using Royal Mail after cost and service issues.

The popular NR3 plant shop sends out anywhere between 50 to 100 parcels a day and says independent companies fear losing business due to the strikes.

The 31-year-old said: "I used to use Royal Mail but because of the continued issues I stopped and used a different courier company - which has been much better.

"A lot of small businesses will have lost out on sales online this year because of the strikes.

"Potential customers may just not order items at all if they think it won't get to them in time."

Lisa Jane lives just outside the city with her three children, aged eight, nine and 12, but hasn't received any of the Christmas presents she ordered in early November.

The 32-year-old added: "I ordered more than £250 worth of stuff for the children.

"But I've had nothing and they've made numerous excuses like saying there's access issues.

"Now anything I order I make sure it's not provided by Evri."

Evri however say the Royal Mail strikes have played a part in its Christmas delivery chaos.

Judith Wilson, a spokeswoman for Evri, said: "We are currently delivering more than three million parcels a day. 

"However, like others in the sector, we are experiencing some delays to service due to record Christmas volumes, Royal Mail strikes, staff shortages and severe weather conditions. 

"We apologise for any inconvenience."

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will mount picket lines outside Royal Mail sorting and delivery offices across the country before the big day.

The two sides have recently held talks but conversations remain deadlocked.

CWU general secretary, Dave Ward, said: "Postal workers want to get on with serving the communities they belong to, delivering Christmas gifts and tackling the backlog from recent weeks.

"But just a few weeks ago, Royal Mail chief executive Simon Thompson did not even bother turning up to talks with workplace representatives that were organised in the hope of averting this strike.

"Posties know their value and will not meekly accept the casualisation of their jobs, the destruction of their conditions and the impoverishment of their families.

"This can be all sorted if Royal Mail begins treating its workers with respect and meet with the union to end this dispute."

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "The CWU is striking at our busiest time, deliberately holding Christmas to ransom for our customers, businesses and families across the country.

"We're doing everything we can to deliver Christmas for our customers, and would like to thank the increasing number of posties returning to work each strike day, temporary workers and managers from across the business who are helping to keep the mail moving.

"However, this task becomes more challenging as Christmas nears.

"Three weeks ago, we made a best and final pay offer worth up to 9pc over 18 months.

"Instead of working with us to agree on changes required to fund that offer and get pay into our posties' pockets, the CWU has announced plans to ballot in the New Year for further strike action.

"Their misguided belief that further industrial action - in a business already losing more than £1m a day - will result in an improved pay offer is misleading its members and risking their long-term job security."