A MISSING bus pass is today in its owner's grasp after taking 31 days to be delivered.George Debman paid £87 at the end of July for the pass to enable his 16-year-old son, Paul, to travel to and from Otley College.

A MISSING bus pass is today in its owner's grasp after taking 31 days to be delivered.

George Debman paid £87 at the end of July for the pass to enable his 16-year-old son, Paul, to travel to and from Otley College.

But despite Suffolk County Council posting the pass twice – it has only just arrived through the letter box of the family's home in Cliff Lane, Ipswich.

Mr Debman said: "I am relieved that the pass has finally turned up but I am not going to let the matter rest until I get a satisfactory response from Royal Mail as to why it happened.

"It is appalling that they can loose the pass twice and finally take over a month for a letter to be delivered."

After he contacted the council several times to trace the lost permit, a council worker came out to the family home with a temporary pass in the hope that one of the passes may turn up.

But it only arrived after the temporary one had expired.

Mr Debman added: "I have written to the chief executive, Adam Crozier, of the Royal Mail to ask him what has happened.

"As an Ipswich Borough Councillor I know we spend thousands of pounds on postage every month. The Suffolk County Council must spend even more and having to re-send lost items just adds to the cost."

Mr Debman has had a letter to acknowledge his request but as yet has not had an explanation.

A Suffolk County Council spokesman said: "Mr Debman paid for his son's transport to Otley in July. A pass was issued which did not initially arrive and neither did a subsequent pass.

"Temporary passes were issued on each occasion, both of which were delivered successfully. Mr Debman's son has therefore been able to travel to Otley without any problem."

A spokesman for the Royal Mail said: "It is very difficult to track a particular piece of mail if it has been sent in the regular post. There could be any number of reasons as to why the pass was delayed.

"More than nine out of ten letters get to their final destination within two days in the Ipswich area."

Have you any problems with postal services? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk