According to Post Master General Clevelyn Crichlow the fault lay with the US postal service and American Airlines which left the mail behind.

Last week 21 bags of express mail, 90 bags of parcels and 220 parcels of letters arrived in Bermuda ten days after they were due to arrive from New York's JFK Airport.

"It is not the first time this has happened,'' said Mr. Crichlow. "We called the US Post Office and they found the containers sitting there waiting to be put on American Airlines.

"The US authorities made alternative arrangements to have the mail shipped to Bermuda by Delta and Continental and it is now here being sorted out and distributed.

"American Airlines has done this before and I would assume that the passenger loads are heavier so they bump the mail.'' Mr. Crichlow said the problem lay with the US postal authorities who were responsible for ensuring mail left for overseas countries.

"I have spoken to the authorities in America and they keep saying they will look into it,'' added Mr. Crichlow.

"In the meantime the Bermuda Post Office wishes to apologise to the general public for any inconvenience which may be experienced due to this unforseen development.''