A ROYAL Mail delivery office has reopened in Andover after remaining closed for nearly two months due to a damaged roof and water leakage caused by a beehive.

The Customer Service Point (CSP) at 32 Bridge Street has reopened after the Royal Mail undertook necessary repairs and relocated the beehive.

A spokesperson for the Royal Mail apologised to Andover residents for the inconvenience and thanked them for their patience while the works were being carried out.

There was still scaffolding up outside the building as of Tuesday night, but the centre is open and operating as normal now.

Andover residents were unable to collect parcels as the CSP was closed due to a leaking and caving in roof.

The delivery office remained closed for nearly two months, causing severe disruption in postal services across Andover, while the Royal Mail struggled to get a contractor to remove the beehive from the building.

But the company finally managed to find a contractor and relocated the nest from the Bridge Street building.

A spokesperson for the Royal Mail told the Advertiser: “We can confirm that the Customer Service Point at Andover Delivery Office is open and operating as normal.

“Following damage to the roof and water leakage caused by a beehive, we have now undertaken the necessary repairs and relocated the beehive.

“The safety of our customers and colleagues is our number one priority at Royal Mail. While the repairs were being carried out, we had to close the Customer Service Point.

“We apologise to customers for any inconvenience the closure caused and thank them for their patience while the works were being carried out.”

When the Advertiser first raised the question to the Royal Mail about continuing delay in postal services in Andover, the company had cited Covid as the reason.

But later, a notice was pasted outside the Bridge Street delivery centre, saying it was closed due to a plumbing leak. The notice said the structural engineers were looking into the matter, which will require honeybees removed from the cavity to gain access.

A Royal Mail spokesperson later confirmed that the delay was due to a leaking roof, adding: “A small section of the roof at the Andover Delivery Office collapsed following water leakage caused by a bees’ nest.

“No one was injured in the incident. The safety of our colleagues is our number one priority at Royal Mail. Our people were asked to leave the office while our Health & Safety and Property teams investigated.”