aaaHead office at Royal Mail has insisted there is no chance of an Echo reporter visiting Basildon's sorting office - despite repeated claims the problems there are over.

Serious doubts have been cast over official statements that the 500,000 parcel and letter pile-up, which the Echo reported two weeks ago, has been cleared. I telephoned to arrange a short visit to the office in East Square, but the path through the sorting office door was not as clear as the backlog is claimed to be.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "It just won't be possible at the moment because staff and managers are extremely busy correcting the situation, trying to get people's mail out on time.