Dozens of people were left fuming when a staff shortage caused the closure of an Oxford sorting office at the weekend.

Concert tickets and birthday presents were among packages people were expecting to pick up from the Royal Mail office in Ledgers Close, Littlemore.

But when customers arrived on Saturday morning to pick up parcels the office was closed.

A note on the door explained the closure was due to "unavoidable operational circumstances", and told people looking to collect mail to call a customer service number.

The Royal Mail last night insisted it was a "one-off incident" and said normal service had been resumed.

A postman, who was leaving the site, told a waiting crowd of around 25 people that staff shortages meant all available personnel had been sent out on delivery rounds.

Lorraine French, 52, travelled from her home in Cratlands Close, Stadhampton, to pick up books needed to research her degree in childcare.

Ms French, who works at a nursery, said: "I am very angry about it - nobody was happy. It was just absolutely ridiculous.

"If I offered that level of service where I worked I would be sacked. It is absolutely disgraceful."

It is thought at least two customers faced missing London concerts that night because they could not retrieve the tickets they had been sent.

The office is usually open on Saturday until lunchtime, and is the only day many people who work during the week can get to the centre to collect parcels.

Ms French said: "There was also an elderly disabled lady there who came to pick up some special shoes she had been sent. It is appalling.

"The staff we did talk to suggested we contacted the Oxford Mail because they are fed up with the conditions and the fact they are so short staffed and they are having to deal with people."

Richard Hall, a spokesman for Royal Mail, said: "We would like to apologise to our customers for this incident.

"Due to short staffing on Saturday, a decision was taken not to open the enquiry office so that all mail deliveries in the local area could be carried out.

"This was a one-off incident and normal service has now been restored at the office."

Dominic Gallagher, 46, from Courtland Road, Iffley, was trying to pick up his son’s birthday present.

He said: "Some people were rather annoyed, and some people were just bemused, trying to work out what was going on.

"There were people inside the office and they refused to come out and refused to help. It was annoying. It is appalling really."