MAIL deliveries across West Oxfordshire have been thrown into chaos after postmen walked out of two delivery offices on wildcat strikes.

Thousands of items of post have been stacking up at Royal Mail delivery depots in Witney and Carterton since the first of more than 100 postmen began unofficial strikes on Thursday.

Royal Mail has drafted in managers to carry out deliveries, but thousands of homes across the district have not received any post since the end of last week.

National Communication Workers Union representatives were due to join Oxfordshire union representatives yesterday afternoon to continue talks with managers to try to break the deadlock.

But postmen warned that even if the strikes were to be abandoned, it would still take until at least the end of the week to clear the backlog.

The first of two strikes started in Carterton and the situation escalated on Friday when workers in Witney walked out over a separate dispute.

Royal Mail spokesman Richard Hall said managers were doing their best to minimise disruption to customers and sort out the disputes.

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