A retired postman became so exasperated with the state of the postal service on an Oxford estate that he resorted to delivering mail himself.

Gerry CaseyGerry Casey, 71, collected post from the Headington depot and delivered it to residents in William Morris Court, Barton, where he lives.

Mr Casey, who was a postman in Oxford for 50 years, said: "I've called Royal Mail and complained that we've had no deliveries, and been told I can pop down and collect the mail for these flats on several separate occasions.

"Strictly speaking, you aren't allowed to take mail away from the depot unless it's your own and I don't want to get anyone into trouble. If they didn't let me take it, no-one in this block would get any post at all, and I did show my ID to prove I used to be a postman."

Across Oxford, householders and businesses are still feeling the effects of a 16-day wildcat postal strike which ended on April 16. But delays in Barton began long before the industrial action because of problems recruiting and keeping postal staff.

Former estate postman Kevin Barber, 42, of Atkyns Road, Barton, said: "There is never any consistency, and I don't think it's got anything to do with managers at the depot. I just don't think there are the staff.

"Barton is at the bottom of the pile in terms of delivery areas and it seems it just gets left, or gets different postmen on different days, which causes confusion. I've had letters delivered that have been addressed to Bayswater Road and Fettiplace Road." Sue Holden, of Barton Community Association, said: "We are going days without getting post. People I know are waiting for mail linked to pensions, working family tax credit, bank and credit card statements."

Royal Mail spokesman Dan Panes said he was unaware of Barton's current problems.

He said: "We are investigating the man who is picking up mail himself. All mail at our mail centre is being cleared regularly.

"There was an incident on Saturday when one of our posties went early, and that affected a small number of addresses."

On Saturday, the Oxford Mail published a letter from a Barton resident, who wished to remain anonymous, stating: "At the time of writing, it is more than three weeks since a postman graced our doorstep.

"I know there is post en-route to me, including several magazines which I have on subscription.

"Even before the strike, we would go several days with no post, then receive a large batch.

"There would then be a gap of several days before another lot would arrive."

In January, the Oxford Mail revealed care worker Sheena Partlett, 42, of Barton, missed a hospital appointment to have a lump on her neck examined because a letter from the Radcliffe Infirmary took five weeks to arrive.

Community groups including Oxford Advocacy Development Group and Barton Surgery, which are based at the estate's neighbourhood centre, also complained they were not getting mail.