Royal Mail customers have been forced to wait for hours to pick up essential post after not receiving any deliveries for six weeks. 

Fed-up locals desperate to collect vital parcels had to stand in a 'horrendous' queue and sit on a wall this week outside the Bridgwater delivery office, in Somerset. 

They said they have been left without any post including essential prescriptions, documents, bank statements and credit cards.

Some say they've not received any mail now for up to six weeks and have missed important appointments due to the delays. But Royal Mail bosses blamed staff sickness for causing a backlog of undelivered post.   

People were given two-hour time slots between 8am and 10am and 4pm to 6pm to pick up their post, resulting in huge queues outside Friarn Street Royal Mail delivery office.

Support worker Tina Hucker, 56, spent her day off waiting in line to find out if her prescription medications were being held at the depot.

She said: 'As things have happened now, I've come here several times and the queues have been horrendous. I'm coming back to give it a last go, or I'm going to have to order more meds again, but I don't know if they'll turn up as they normally do because of this issue. 

'I don't want to over-order meds if they're just sat here. If I order more meds, will I get the same problem again? Will the doctor approve them? The doctor only approves what's needed.

'I can't remember the last time I got post - months. I've had to park over the other side of town to wait in the queue. I've never seen this before. I don't know how long it's going to be, or if I'll get in before six o'clock. Luckily it's my day off today, so I'm able to come and wait here.'

Jerry Lomax, a local resident who is planning on going on holiday next week, said he has been waiting on a credit card for over a fortnight.

'They keep telling me I need to activate it, otherwise they're going to null and void it,' he said.

'How long am I going to have to wait? I can't do the morning times, because I'm working. I work until 5pm tomorrow, so there's no chance I'll have time - then on Thursday, I'm supposed to be flying to Lisbon. If I didn't have important documents, I'd probably let it go, but it's stuff I need.'

Retiree Jon Smith, 75, has also faced issues over the delays, stating: 'I haven't had any post in a long while - three, maybe four weeks - and somebody told me they're holding all the post here for collection. I've been waiting for different things like bank statements.'

Kieron said: 'It's quite an inconvenience. The queue the other day was all the way down the road - waiting for hours to pick up our post. It's time-consuming - people have other things to do. 

'We've had to do it a couple of times now. I can imagine for people with disabilities, it's not easy. It's not exactly safe for us just sat on the road - it's not ideal.'

Shannon added: 'I got an email from Royal Mail saying I need to come and collect my parcel - they didn't even try and deliver it. They're not even attempting to post it. I had letters delivered three days ago - about ten letters - but not for a couple of weeks before that.'

Another resident, Simon Reynolds, said he last received a letter six weeks ago, and claimed his local postman had told him that several extra rounds had been added to his route.

He said: 'We're getting no post, and a lot of this is strange. Some people are saying it's a couple of hours they've been here for. It is an inconvenience - you expect your mail to come to your house, that's the service.'

A Royal Mail spokesperson said short-term staff sickness had affected deliveries in parts of Bridgwater.

They said: 'We know how important it is that customers receive their mail when expected and take concerns about deliveries very seriously.

'Short-term sickness has affected deliveries in parts of Bridgwater. Additional staffing is now in place and our posties are working to clear any outstanding mail as quickly as possible. We expect services in the affected areas to return to normal over the coming week.'