Postal workers were on strike yesterday at two depots in Bristol.

Staff at the Royal Mail depots in Montpelier and Whitehall were striking over proposed job cuts, with mail deliveries in the BS5, BS6 and BS7 postcode areas affected.

The 170 workers, 70 at Whitehall and 100 at Montpelier, joined thousands of colleagues across the UK striking and demonstrating.

Despite the rain, several workers turned out to form picket lines at the depots.

Rob Wotherspoon, a delivery postal worker based at the Montpelier delivery office, said: "We are doing this today to show that we are unhappy that Royal Mail have announced that they are cutting 10 per cent of jobs. That will make deliveries longer for us and they also want to cut the amount of overtime available. No one had crossed the picket line today other than management."

Workers at the Yate, Keynsham and Portishead depots have also voted for strike action, which is due to take place early next month.

The Communication Workers Union says workers at 13 more depots are being balloted, with the results to be known between July 28 and 31. Any strike action could then be coordinated with the three other depots which have voted for action.