Former Royal Mail employee says staff hid mail in lorries and drove around M25 during inspections

• ITV Meridian's Megan Samrai spoke with a former Royal Mail employee who worked in Tonbridge for a number of years

A former Royal Mail employee has told ITV Meridian that staff would hide mail during audits and drive it in lorries around the M25 until inspectors were gone.

We spoke with two Royal Mail ex-staff who worked in Tonbridge for a number of years.

In shocking claims, they allege that letters would be hidden before inspectors even arrived. One whistleblower agreed to speak with us on camera anonymously.

"They knew they was coming so they'd hide the mail," he said.

"Whether that was send it out in vans, knowing full well it's coming back. Hide it somewhere in the depot or in other depots, or put it in lorries and drive it round the M25 until they were gone."

"There's just more and more and more mail, always letters, just sat in frames. Unless they are their prioritised parcel with a tracked, they just get left behind…collect dust.

"They don't want letters because they don't make money. Whereas parcels make money."

• One whistleblower agreed to speak with ITV Meridian on camera anonymously. We have changed his voice to protect his identity

Royal Mail wouldn’t speak on camera, but refute the allegations put forward by ex-employees. 

The company says it’s not an accurate reflection of how quality of service is measured. Saying that quality of service statistics are recorded digitally every day (rather than assessed through visual checks) and are audited by senior management at least weekly.

They added that they have an independent quality measurer, overseen by regulator Ofcom, which has recently shown a significant improvement in service levels in Tonbridge.

The allegations come as some residents in Paddock Wood, Kent - along with parts of Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells - are facing severe postal delays in their area.

An ITV Meridian investigation found that some letters have been taking more than two weeks to arrive.

Residents say that late letters have caused them to miss important medical appointments and blood test results, with one woman telling us the delays have made her chronic back condition worse, as she isn't always receiving the medication that keeps it under control.

Laura Manuel said: "There's been quite a few times the hospital’s called me, ‘You’re meant to be at this appointment’, and I know nothing about it.

"I’ve missed medication that is delivered by Royal Mail.

"Physically it causes a lot of pain, but more so it’s frustrating because then I’m having to ask for help. I’m a 42 year old woman that shouldn’t need to ask for help."

Another Paddock Wood resident, Tom Abbey, decided to take matters into his own hands by sending a joint complaint to Royal Mail from residents.

He says that after going on a Facebook community page, he found "this whole massive problem."

Royal Mail told us that Tonbridge is a difficult area to recruit in, adding that more newbuild developments have increased demand. And that Paddock Wood is a highly skilled delivery route, where many houses have names and not numbers.

Tunbridge Wells MP, Mike Martin said he's had a "long backwards and forwards" with Royal Mail about the postal delivery delays in the area.

"I met with them recently and they admitted that they’d had leadership and recruitment problems in the TN postcode, so across Tunbridge Wells.

Tunbridge Wells MP, Mike Martin, thinks people will see improvements to postal delays in his area

"I think this is actually a long running problem. I do think we are going to see improvements, hopefully, they've promised me they are going to make those improvements. But I think it’s going to be a slow burn.”

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are aware of service issues in Paddock Wood and apologise to residents affected. Our team in Tonbridge is working hard to improve service locally, with a new leadership team in place, new starters in training and a recruitment campaign ongoing. We have created four new delivery rounds in Paddock Wood to meet increased demand.

“Timely deliveries matter to us and to our customers. We are taking targeted steps to improve reliability, and we remain focused on delivering a better service for all our customers every day.”

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