The Communications Workers Union said: “We want to set aside our differences with Royal Mail and – subject to prioritising the health and safety of members – we want postal workers to become an additional emergency service. It’s time to utilise the unrivalled infrastructure and daily reach across every city, town, village and rural community, remembering that for a lot of people the only person they will see every day will be their local postal worker.” 

Royal Mail spokesman Shane O’Riordain said: “We contacted CWU last week to work together to protect our people, our country and our company. 

“We are talking to them about how we can do that together. 

“The delivery of parcels and letters is a key way of keeping the country together and helping many people who may not have the option to leave their homes.” 

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK said: “We warmly welcome this initiative. It is great to see our posties offering to step up in this way.” 

The move is the latest in a bid to protect pensioners and other vulnerable people in the middle of the UK’s worst health crisis. 

Shops such as Iceland and Lidl and the Nationwide Building Society have announced early morning opening for the elderly, who have been urged to stay at home to avoid coming into contact with others. 

Tesco will also introduce dedicated time in store three days a week for over-65s and family carer workers from today. 

The Government is set to escalate the policy into a 12-week lockdown starting this weekend and this has sparked a country-wide effort to look after older neighbours and family. 

Facebook said more than 200,000 people in the country are now members of more than 300 local support groups set up to tackle the fallout from the virus. One of those groups was set up in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, by Rachel Pleasant. 

She is recruiting volunteers to help residents who are elderly, vulnerable or stuck at home without any family or friends nearby. 

Rachel said: “Before we know it we’ve had 2,000 people join the page and 3,500 messages of support saying, ‘Please let us help’. It’s been amazing.” 

They have got hold of maps of the local area and have been divvying up streets to volunteers, who will visit residents and offer to run errands or pick up supplies. 

She added: “I think we just felt panic never solves anything, let’s focus some of that energy on really helping the people in our community.” 

Ali Currie, said her two daughters, Scarlet, 10, and 12-year-old Grace, posted handwritten notes to the other houses on their road in south London. 

Ali said: “They are pretty caring girls. We live in a really lovely neighbourhood which is full of great community spirit.” 

The family have received a few texts and handwritten notes in return and their elderly next-door neighbour “said she will need some help at some point”. 

Jan Shortt, the general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention, has called for more support from for the 3.8million who live alone. 

She said: “There’s a real danger that these people with no one to look out for them could slip through the net during the coronavirus outbreak. 

“Additional support and resources from health trusts and the Government should be made available as a priority to ensure those living alone do not get neglected.” 

Members of the Communication Workers Union had backed industrial action by 94 percent. 

It was the third time union members had voted in favour of strikes over a number of issues. 

The union secured a huge mandate for action last year but the Royal Mail staged a successful legal challenge to halt strikes. 

A statement said: “The CWU recognises that since we embarked on this ballot just two weeks ago, the growing health crisis is changing the language of priorities for our members and the country. 

“In recognition of the fact that Royal Mail Group is the only service that connects every address in this country via its universal service, something our dispute is seeking to protect, we have made a proposal to the company based on putting the interests of the nation first. 

“Postal workers are embedded in every community in the UK. They are trusted figures. They are part of the social fabric of society. 

“If we can agree on the introduction of the very best health and safety provisions and equipment that can guarantee our members’ safety, they will become an additional emergency service.” 

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