HUNDREDS of Droitwich people had their Royal Mail deliveries delayed when three bags of letters were returned undelivered to the Worcester depot causing a major investigation.

As a result Mr David Hewitt, manager of the Royal Mail depot at Droitwich, was sacked and other staff disciplined.

The situation was revealed as Mr Hewitt, of Meadow Close, Droitwich, sought compensation for unfair dismissal against the Royal Mail at Birmingham Employment Tribunal.

The Royal Mail opposed his compensation claim and told tribunal judge Miss Vera Jones that the Royal Mail had an obligation to deliver mail every day.

“Failure to deliver is a serious situation – especially to wilfully delay delivery,” said the respondents.

Mr Hewitt said he had been unfairly dismissed and should not have been held responsible for what happened.

He said he was suspended four hours after the incident and later lost his job.

“I was an acting deputy manager at the time after having a five-day induction course,” he said. “I did not have the experience of a full manager.

Mr Hewitt complained he had been working more than 12 hours a day.

The respondents said Mr Hewitt was the manager at the time and that he had volunteered to do the job.

He was also reminded that he was being paid as a substituted manager and that he was “the leader of the day.”

The tribunal was told that the three bags of undelivered mail were sent back to Worcester by an agency driver.

There had been no phone call about what had happened, it was said.

The tribunal was told that people living in some blocks of flats in the Droitwich area may have been among those who failed to receive their mail on the day.

A tribunal decision is to be made at a later date.

Mr Hewitt said he now had another job.