Three Oxfordshire MPs have waded into the chaos over Oxford's postal services, calling for extremists to be sacked and bosses to "get a grip."

They have spoken out as the Oxford Mail today tried to get answers about the state of the service from Stephen Timms, the Government minister responsible for postal services, as well as Royal Mail's area general manager Michael Stockdale, who is in charge of operations at Oxford's main sorting office in Cowley.

Neither has so far been available for comment and Mr Timms has not yet got involved in the dispute.

More than 360 staff at Cowley staged an unofficial walkout on March 30 in protest at what they claimed was intimidation and bullying by a small group of workers and a manager. Only managers, casual and part-time workers and a group of seven staff at the centre of the dispute are working.

Oxford West and Abingdon Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris said: "Yet another postal strike in Oxford is bad news. Whatever the basis of the latest dispute, there is no excuse for wildcat strike action, and by doing so the postal workers undermine what public sympathy they might have had.

"I have again urged the Royal Mail and the union to both get a grip and sort out industrial relations in Oxford, but the first step must be to end the unofficial action and get our post moving again."

Witney Conservative MP David Cameron added: "This action is deeply inconvenient for the people of Oxfordshire, who have anyway suffered a reduced service over recent months with the end of second deliveries. It's vital that management get a grip on the situation as soon as possible."

Wantage Conservative MP Robert Jackson said: "There's a political programme to this dispute and management have got to sort it out.

"This is an essential public service that does not have to be provided by Royal Mail and these people are digging their own graves. Management have got to isolate the extremists and get rid of them."

Meanwhile, industry regulator Postcomm is also monitoring the situation. A spokesman said: "We are aware there have been problems in Oxford for some time."

On April 3, nearly four hours of talks were held between Royal Mail management and representatives of the Communication Workers' Union in a bid to thrash out an agreed formula for ending the unofficial stoppage. It was the fourth round of talks between both sides since the dispute started.

Striking workers were meeting at the the Cowley Workers' Club, at In Between Towns Road, on April 5.

Union official Bob Cullen said: "It's up to the workers to decide on what they think to management's latest proposals but I don't think they will be acceptable even though some concessions have been made."

Royal Mail spokeswoman Jane Beese said: "Talks on Saturday with union representatives were positive."