Post offices were told to stop accepting outbound mail owing to problems with an X-ray machine at LF Wade International Airport.

A notice from the manager of sub post office operations, understood to have been sent yesterday, said that the Bermuda Post Office was “actively looking at solutions to move mail; an official notification to the public will be drafted today”.

Skyport said today that the issue with the X-ray machine was resolved and a mail backlog was being processed.

Two people contacted The Royal Gazette yesterday to complain that they had sent packages to Britain which had not arrived.

One woman said she had sent two packages three weeks ago and another two weeks ago.

“I was told by postal staff that the screening machine at the airport was broken,” she said.

Another woman also contacted the Gazette concerned that she had sent her passports to Britain to be renewed.

The woman, who said she had sent the passports on September 27, had also been informed that the airport scanner was not working.

She said that “no one had called to say if they could be collected” and added: “The mail has been just sitting at the airport, why has no one been told?”

Another person posted on Facebook that the issue had been going on “for weeks” and added: “I went today to request my package back. There was NO notice no nothing.

“If I didn’t keep calling and then eventually just go I wouldn’t have happened to see the print out “notice” at the cashiers saying there was an issue and not to accept new mail …?

“What about those who have sent mail weeks ago though … when where we gonna be told?”

The notice from the sub post office operations manager said that the Post Master General “has officially advised that all sub post office locations stop accepting outbound mail effective immediately”.

It added: “Reason — the Bermuda Post Office cannot dispatch mail overseas as ‘the X-ray machine at Bermuda’s International Airport is presently out of service and all outbound mail and air cargo needs to be screened, as part of a security process per Transportation Security Administration Regulations, to ensure the safety of mail and cargo during transport’.

“The BPO is actively looking at solutions to move mail; an official notification to the public will be drafted today.”

It is understood that private courier firms are not affected as they have access to their own scanning machines.

A spokeswoman for Skyport explained: “The primary X-ray machine used for scanning outgoing mail was temporarily down due to a software update that required the manufacturer’s involvement.

“During that time, alternative measures were implemented. The update has now been completed, and the primary unit is back in service.

“The backlog of mail is currently being processed.”

The Royal Gazette sent questions to the Cabinet Office, which is in charge of postal services. No answers had been received by press time.

• UPDATE: this story has been updated to include a comment from Skyport

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