Hundreds of angry postal staff are to be balloted over possible strike action after the sacking of four colleagues.

In recent weeks, two postmen working from the delivery office in East Oxford, as well as a postman at Abingdon and a driver based at the mail centre in Cowley, have lost their appeals against dismissals by the Royal Mail.

Each was told they were being sacked for non-delivery of test letters.

Feelings among their colleagues have been running high, with staff at Abingdon already staging an unofficial 24 hour strike in support of their sacked colleague, Kevin Tunstall. And union leaders say more industrial action is likely.

Pete Boswell, secretary of the Communication Workers Union's Oxfordshire branch, said Royal Mail was conducting a "concerted campaign" against workers.

He added: "They have an uncanny ability to upset a lot of people at the same time."

Royal Mail spokesman Paula Elwood said letters had been sent to staff urging them not to disrupt services.

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