POST deliveries across Andover are suffering serious delays after a beehive caused part of the roof at the town’s delivery office to collapse.

Residents across the town have complained they have not received parcels or letters for up to three weeks, with Royal Mail initially blaming Covid-related absences.

But it has since come to light that a beehive has caused part of the roof to collapse, leading to a water leak at the Bridge Street customer service point.

No one was injured but workers have been told to leave the office, meaning customers are unable to collect parcels and causing delays to deliveries. There have been reports of disruption to the postal service for around a month.

A spokesperson for Royal Mail said that “safety is our number one priority” and apologised for inconvenience.

A beekeeper has been contacted to remove the hive.

Reacting to the news, Cllr Iris Andersen said that the issue should have been solved sooner. She said mail is “one of the most important things of people’s lives”, and that “surely the service can get somebody to move the beehive sooner”.

It has also resulted in one Royal Mail worker taking to social media “begging for help”.

You can read the full story in this week's paper. Also in this week’s edition:

  • Residents are preparing to lodge an objection as a company intending to construct a permanent ‘ash mountain’ near their homes has submitted another application, after the first was abandoned.
  • An Andover woman will shave her head on her birthday to raise funds for her best friend’s daughter who has been diagnosed with cancer.
  • An historic pub in Andover is reopening to the public after a seven-year break as two local businesses join hands to revive the 17th-century building. 
  • A mother has left her day job as a childminder to open a new pottery painting studio in Hurstbourne Tarrant.
  • An Andover man has been made to pay almost £5,000 after waste was unlawfully dumped in a country lane in Awbridge.
  • Andover's MP has been promoted to the top table of government after a cabinet reshuffle.
  • A school governor and councillor from Andover has expressed his ‘extreme disappointment’ about plans which could see more than £20 million slashed from the children’s services budget in Hampshire.
  • More than two in five public buildings inspected in Hampshire last year were found in breach of fire safety regulations, figures reveal.
  • PLUS: Two pages of YOUR letters
  • PICTURES: UN Peace Day procession in Harmony Woods
  • An eight-page puzzle special
  • Entertainment news
  • Sports news
  • And much, much more
  • Out now! Just 90p

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