A town hall leader has contacted Ofcom to raise concerns about mail deliveries in the area.

In correspondence to the regulator, Michael Jones highlighted mounting anger from local people who say parcels and letters are regularly failing to arrive, reaching them far behind schedule, or disappearing altogether in Crawley.

Cllr Jones outlined how the situation had compelled Crawley Borough Council to hire alternative firms to distribute correspondence, leaflets and paperwork to households, a choice made with deep reluctance.

A Royal Mail representative stated that the company understood how crucial timely mail delivery was for customers, especially when it involved medical or other significant documents. Recent nationwide data indicated 92 per cent of letters were delivered punctually, though officials acknowledged that performance had not yet reached the required standard across all regions. Where localised problems existed, these were typically attributed to temporary staffing shortages, and the company acted promptly to re-establish a dependable service.

Despite these assertions, Royal Mail received a £21 million penalty in October 2025 following an Ofcom investigation which discovered failures to meet both first and second-class delivery targets during 2024/25. Almost one quarter of first-class items were delivered late.

At the time, Citizens Advice described the postal service’s record as deeply unsatisfactory.

Cllr Jones said fellow councillors who had toured the local sorting facility had gathered informal accounts of serious problems impacting delivery standards.

He continued that residents, enterprises, public bodies and democratic participation all depended on a dependable postal system. The current delivery performance in Crawley fell short of acceptable levels, and national evidence demonstrated this formed part of broader regulatory concern and deteriorating service standards.

Crawley did not feature in a recent operational update which documented delays affecting 62 postcode areas nationwide, leading Cllr Jones to question whether such updates provided a comprehensive picture.

The Royal Mail spokesperson said the service update page reflected broader or sustained disruption across a region, and more localised or brief problems would not be included.