Frustration was growing among Royal Mail customers in Oxfordshire today as mountains of mail delayed by the postal strike built up at sorting offices.

Now hear this: Dennis Kilgariff, chairman of the Oxfordshire CWU branch, addresses branch members at Cowley

More than 900 postal workers are now on strike, bringing deliveries and collections to a halt in large areas of the county.

Some customers questioned by the Oxford Mail today were showing increasing impatience with the strike.

Computer consultant Anthony Lauder, of Plater Drive, Oxford, said: "It's extremely annoying for me as I am waiting for a cheque book to arrive at the moment".

Claire Mahon, of Berry Close, Cowley, said she had experienced problems in her work as a civil servant in the Probate Office at Oxford County Court.

She said: "It is causing a backlog of work for us and we are getting people ringing up very concerned about probates after recent bereavement.

"People are having to travel in from Buckinghamshire and Berkshire to make sure we get their papers."

Bill McCardle, general manager of Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry condemned the disruption to businesses.

He said: "From the Chamber's point of view this is disgraceful. They should get on with the work of delivering the post.

"If they have an internal dispute, they should sort this out in a professional manner don't involve Oxford businesses, employees and staff."

Postal worker Allie Moore, 28, of Nettlebed Mead, Greater Leys, said she was sick of the strike action and warned customers would turn to other delivery companies.

Postal workers voted to continue the unofficial strike, now in its sixth day, at a meeting in Cowley Workers Social Club because of the Royal Mail's threat to take disciplinary action against strikers.

But the Royal Mail remains hopeful that a solution could be in sight.

Two senior officials of the Communication Workers' Union, Billy Hayes and Mike Hogan, were coming to Oxford to join negotiations.

The leaders of unofficial industrial action face being axed from the union.

The union's spokesman said: "They would open themselves to disciplinary charges."

*Formal identification of a man killed by a train at Haddenham and Thame Parkway station last weel has been delayed because his dental records have been held up by the strike.