POSTAL bosses have apologised for haphazard deliveries in Titchfield Common with no letters being delivered at all some days.

The Royal Mail today blamed last week's dismal service on staff sickness with 15 postal workers at Fareham's sorting office taking time off work at the same time.

Spokesman Don Veale admitted there were serious problems with the postal service but insisted there were only a few "isolated cases" where mail was not delivered to entire roads.

"Although we had a problem last week we did our utmost to get the mail delivered," he said.

"In one or two isolated cases roads were missed out of the delivery rounds and letters were not delivered.

"We did have a high level of staff sickness. We would like to apologise to residents for any problems."

Out of the 167 postal workers at the sorting office, 15 were too ill to come to work throughout last week.

Mr Veale said this meant that sometimes the delivery manager was working well into the afternoon trying to make sure all the roads were covered.

However, the Royal Mail's latest explanation has come as little comfort to residents who, last December, complained about the second-class service.

One man, who does not wish to be named, lives at The Hurdles and was last week waiting for important insurance documents which never arrived.

"It was unbelievable that one day we had no deliveries at all. We just feel we can't rely on the post at all any more," he said

Mother-of-two Amanda Aldridge of Penhale Gardens said the postal service had gone downhill once again after a slight improvement after Christmas.

"Whenever the slightest thing goes wrong the deliveries become very unreliable." she said.

In neighbouring roads falling under the SO31 postcode area, deliveries were unaffected as residents are served by a different sorting office at Sarisbury Green.

Last year consumer watchdog Postwatch branded the Portsmouth postcode district (PO) the 11th worst performing area in the country.

l Are you unhappy with your postal service? Tell us by calling the Daily Echo's Fareham Office on 01329 285503.