Talks to find a solution to the postal strike that has paralysed services in Oxfordshire were continuing today.

More than 900 workers about three quarters of the workforce in the county have stopped work.

They have now been joined by up to 100 workers at a Royal Mail Streamline depot in Swindon, which deals with business post and magazine subscriptions.

But 36 workers at Carterton voted to return to work last night.

Talks between union and management representatives yesterday broke up without agreement but Noel Fay, assistant branch secretary of the Communication Workers' Union, said its negotiators were prepared to keep negotiating.

He repeated the strikers' call for an independent review of practices within the Oxfordshire postal service.

He said: "We welcome Members of Parliament. We welcome the Chamber of Commerce. We welcome small businesses and we would welcome a panel of Oxford Mail readers."

Postal workers were still unhappy about the threat of disciplinary action once they return to work. This has proved a sticking point in negotiations.

Mr Fay said: "We appreciate the importance of addressing any alleged incidents particularly on the picket line but after the review. It won't help while the review is on going because people will be looking over their shoulder."

Postal workers in Kidlington, Banbury, Chipping Norton, Didcot, Wantage and Thame are still working.

Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council, two of the county's largest employers, said they were using telephone, faxes, e-mail and couriers.