Eleven Northern posties have reportedly been suspended by Royal Mail after they were spotted having cups of tea in the pub on their break.
In a move that has caused major disruption to service, the postal workers – based at the Prenton Delivery Office in the Wirral – were suspended after they were found to be taking their breaks at the Caernarvon Castle pub.
However, pub regular Ian Harris has said he only ever saw the posties drinking tea and coffee in the boozer.
According to Mr Harris, the local posties were given a pot of tea and a pot of coffee and were never seen to be drinking alcohol.
He said that the posties had merely used the facilities to ‘freshen up’, adding: “There wasn’t any alcohol whatsoever used and we the regulars liked to see them.”
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Royal Mail has since been forced to apologise to residents after the controversial action has led to major disruption to local postal services, with some locals saying their post has been arriving more than a week late.
Local politicians have slammed the decision to suspend the posties, with Birkenhead MP revealing that the Communication Workers Union (CWU) had now informed him that three of the suspended posties had now been reinstated.
He said: “I wrote to the local management on July 20 and requested a response to my concerns and clarity on what steps they were taking to improve both industrial relations and delivery services. As of today they haven’t replied.”
He added: “The union stressed they were open to discussions with management to resolve the disciplinary issues and I strongly urge the management to engage constructively with the CWU as the only way to restore normal service and improve industrial relations.
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“However, I would urge the CWU to be vigilant as the management across Royal Mail have a very recent record of attacking the terms and conditions of its staff and provoking disputes.”
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are sorry to residents who have experienced delays. Improving quality of service is our top priority and we are committed to restoring service levels to where our customers expect them to be.
“Efforts at the local delivery office are ongoing to improve this level of service. This includes additional recruitment and the addition of agency staff. Mail continues to be delivered, and anyone who has mail and does not receive it on the day they expect will always be prioritised the following day.
“Across our business we have plans in place to drive service levels. We hope and expect to see further progress in the coming months.”
Police ‘delighted’ after Manchester man is jailed for running county lines drug operation
Emily Sergeant
A Manchester man has been jailed for his part in running a county lines drug operation that exploited vulnerable people.
Following an investigation by Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) County Lines Team, John Joyce, of Stuart Street in Manchester, was identified as operating a county lines drugs network that supplied Class A drugs across Greater Manchester, and was subsequently jailed for possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.
The investigation – which uncovered extensive evidence of drug supply – found that Joyce was the controller of the “CEE” line – a mobile number used to distribute crack cocaine and heroin.
Among that ‘extensive’ evidence was more than 31,000 text messages and 8,700 calls linked to drug dealing activity, and ‘flare’ messages advertising drugs for sale sent in bulk, as well as forensic analysis linking Joyce to two personal mobile numbers and vehicles used during the operation.
CCTV footage was also uncovered showing Joyce purchasing top-up vouchers for the drugs line.
#JAILED | Man sentenced to over 5 years in prison for running county lines drug operation
Our County Lines Team investigation uncovered extensive evidence of drug supply & found he was the controller of the “CEE” line, a mobile number used to distribute crack cocaine & heroin pic.twitter.com/WAdej9lLxU
And the final nail in the coffin was that a search of the 28-year-old’s Manchester apartment uncovered more than 460g of crack cocaine, heroin, drug paraphernalia, and cash.
Joyce fled the UK and headed to Dubai in an attempt to evade justice, but was arrested upon his return at Manchester Airport in October 2025.
“This case demonstrates our commitment to dismantling county lines networks that exploit vulnerable people and blight communities,” explained Detective Constable Josh Claxton, of GMP’s County Lines Team.
“Joyce’s operation was significant and his sentence reflects the harm caused by class A drug supply in Greater Manchester.
“He evaded justice for a long time, but now we are delighted to have locked him up so he can no longer cause damage to people’s lives.”
Joyce has been jailed for five years and three months after appearing at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court this week (Tuesday 16 December).
Featured Image – GMP
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Popular bar chain The Alchemist to rewind back to 2010 with cocktails and dishes for £6 next month
Emily Sergeant
One of the UK’s most popular bar chains is celebrating its sweet 16th birthday next month by winding back to 2010.
Money is always tight in January, right?
Once Christmas is over with, and so is the festive feasting and drinking, many like to use the first month of the new year to lay low and save some money back up – which is why The Alchemist is launching a limited-edition ‘2010 Revival Menu’, bringing back some of its most iconic early cocktails and dishes – all at their original prices from 16 years ago.
For the whole month, you can enjoy the curated throwback selection starting from £6, which i perfectly timed for a month of saving without sacrificing going out.
The Alchemist is rewinding back to 2010 with cocktails and dishes for £6 / Credit: The Manc Group
The 2010 Revival Menu includes the return of the fan-favourite White Chocolate Raspberry Martini for £6 on the cocktail menu, which was an early Alchemist staple, alongside other fan-favourites like the Colour Changing One and Virgin Pornstar, both for £6 again.
When it comes to food dishes for £6, you can tuck into a selection of different refreshing salads, while stretching your budget up to £10 will get you things like Chicken in a Basket, a Cheeseburger, and Fish and Chips.
Other iconic Alchemist cocktails returning for a fraction of the price next month include the popular Smoky Old Fashioned, and Dead Read Zombie – both for £8.
The Alchemist opened its original bar in Manchester‘s swanky Spinningfields district all the way back in 2010, and quickly became a popular and stylish destination with its high ceilings and industrial features, and has since developed into a much larger chain – with not only more Manchester destinations, but others across the UK too.
Georgina Pellant -
11th August 2023 
