Sir - As a Royal Mail employee of 25 years, it sickens me to keep seeing all the complaints about the service, most of which you invite by getting your readers to phone in.

You published a letter from Sue McCormack complaining about us (Oxford Mail, August 4).

How did this letter get to you? Via carrier pigeon? Probably via the very service which she is complaining about.

So moan all you like, but the post still gets through. There is still a hardcore of willing, conscientious staff who value their jobs and, above all, the customers that they serve.

It is not the fault of us, the loyal postmen. It goes much deeper than that. We all know there are problems, but they are not of the making of the postmen on the streets.

Mick Casey

Oxford

The stories we have run about the postal service have been genuine complaints, but it has not been all criticism - there has been some praise for postal staff. For the record, Sue McCormack's letter was sent by e-mail -- Editor.