POSTAL workers have hit out at claims that Swindon's main sorting office is in chaos.

A report in the Sunday Times painted a picture of how sorting staff using a "chronically slow and inefficient system" were delivering a "slow-motion post".

And it even claims a potential anthrax alert was attempted to be hushed up.

But a Swindon worker, who did not wish to be named, said: "I think the article was disgusting. The reporter has not mentioned that the people he was talking about were casual staff.

"The article gives full-time staff in Swindon a bad name. It creates a completely false impression and makes us look like a real shower."

The article paints a grim picture of life at the Swindon main sorting office, claiming to be from the observations of an undercover reporter.

The reporter writes: "Bedraggled workers, some of whom struggled to read English, sit sorting mail almost entirely by hand in freezing sheds in the dead of night.

"Others stand idly by, smoking cannabis during their tea breaks."

Findings of the reporter included:

a chronically slow and inefficient system

second-class letter dumped until a backlog of first-class post is cleared

workers struggling to read English misdirecting mail

top heavy management

The Swindon postal worker said: "The sorting rate the article talked about was something full-time staff would never get away with. It is a pack of lies."

Meanwhile, Consignia, the new company name for the former Post Office group, is preparing to axe up to 30,000 jobs over the next 18 months. This comes on top of a reduction of around 10,000 in the organisation's 200,000 staff over the past year.

The main postal centre in Dorcan, employs 971 sorters and delivery people, and is a 24-hour operation.

Frank Armstrong, branch secretary of the Communications Workers' Union (CWU), which represents the 971 Dorcan employees, said: "The members of the CWU have made strong representations and are very distressed about the article.

"I'm certain the individual who has written the report is referring to casual staff. It does not represent our people.

"But I think it is indicative that the management sent home 73 casuals this morning because they didn't have enough work for them. That is typical. The business is in chaos and they bring these people in."

Richard Smith, head of external relations for Consignia, said: "It's a something or nothing article. We have to go through those processes to get those letters delivered.

"I'm not sure it paints a true picture of the hard work our staff do at Christmas . They work long hours in sorting the nation's postbag."