Dentures get lost in the post (From Witney Gazette)

Dentures get lost in the post

7:32am Thursday 3rd July 2008 in Witney By The Page Turner

DENTURES destined for patients in a West Oxfordshire village have got lost in the post and could be among millions of items at Oxford's main sorting office.

The seven sets of false teeth were posted first class by dental technician Stephen Ward on June 19 to a Hook Norton dental practice, but they have not arrived.

Mr Ward, from Aston, said he was desperate to get the sets of dentures back because some patients were threatening to take legal action.

Mr Ward, who manufactures the dentures, said a similar package sent to a dental laboratory in Pembrokeshire, Wales, had also been lost by Royal Mail.

He said: "These packages contain about £1,000 of work and, unfortunately, I failed to send them special delivery because the village post office was about to shut.

"The customers are now getting desperate for their dentures and they have been into the practice screaming and shouting and threatening to sue the practice.

"I am starting the work again, but it's complex and it would be better if these parcels could be found.

"One of the patients has a 60th birthday coming up while another is waiting to go on a cruise and not having their false teeth is a massive problem."

Mr Ward had been told by Royal Mail the cardboard parcels would have ended up at the sorting office in Cowley, where staff are balloting for industrial action over increased workloads and later delivery times.

He said: "I usually use the special delivery service but on this occasion I had forgotten my wallet so I just sent the parcels first-class.

"Now I am really regretting it and I wish I had driven the parcel over to Chipping Norton instead."

Jane Thomas, a spokesman for Royal Mail, said staff would keep an eye out for the parcels, which featured Mr Ward's address on the back.

She said: "Millions of items of mail pass through the Cowley sorting office and days and days of mail have gone through there since, so it could be an impossible task.

"If mail is sent first-class it is impossible to track it but if it is sent special delivery it can be tracked and for a service starting at £4, we can guarantee next-day delivery.

"Mr Ward's parcels could have been directed to a returned letters centre in Belfast."

Ms Thomas said the Royal Mail's customer service centre could be contacted on 08457 740740.