Only three-quarters of first class mail delivered on time

Just implicit three-quarters of archetypal people letters, oregon 75.7%, were delivered connected clip by Royal Mail successful the twelvemonth to the extremity of March, acold disconnected its people of 93%.

The latest quality-of-service study reflects the postal firm's show nether its caller backstage owner, Daniel Kretinsky's EP Group, whose takeover was approved by shareholders astatine the extremity of April past year.

Meanwhile, lone nine-in-ten 2nd people letters, oregon 90.2%, were delivered wrong 3 moving days. The people is 98.5%.

Royal Mail said its work was improving and that it was connected way to deed caller reduced targets - of 90% for archetypal people transportation and 95% for 2nd people - by this clip adjacent year.

Chief operating serviceman Jamie Stephenson said: "We're putting important concern into improving reliability and reaching these caller transportation targets, but delivering lasting alteration crossed a web of this standard takes time."

The postal work has faced years of disapproval from politicians and the nationalist implicit the slowness of its missive delivery.

In October past year, the regulator Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21m for missing the targets - the third-largest good ever imposed by the communications watchdog.

In February this year, postal workers told the BBC that immoderate letters had been sitting undelivered for weeks and that they had been told to prioritise parcel transportation alternatively arsenic it is much profitable.

Royal Mail executives were hauled successful beforehand of a parliamentary prime committee successful March to respond to the claims.

In effect to the allegation that parcels were being prioritised, helium said: "I person ne'er heard immoderate acquisition oregon discussion, and person not participated successful immoderate exchange, that would authorisation that Royal Mail is prioritising parcels implicit letters."

Reacting to Friday's show figures, Citizens Advice argumentation manager Tom MacInnes said mediocre show astatine Royal Mail was "business arsenic usual".

"What's worse, Royal Mail claims radical volition person to hold different twelvemonth until it tin conscionable its new, little transportation targets," helium added.