Cut in village postal service

POSTAL deliveries around Slaithwaite are to be cut in a money-saving step by the Royal Mail.

From Monday, February 2, there will be just one daily delivery, rather than the current two to homes and businesses in the HD7 postal area.

Customers can expect all their mail in one drop, some time between 7am and lunchtime.

At the moment, there are separate first and second-class drops, beginning early in the morning.

Anyone who needs their mail urgently can collect it from 8.30am at the village delivery office on the Spafield Industrial Estate.

Delivery arrangements for business customers remain unchanged.

Andy Lamb, Royal Mail's area general manager for the mid- Yorkshire region, said: "Second deliveries account for 20% of Royal Mail's costs, but represent just 4% of the daily mailbag.

"So it makes sense to combine the first and second deliveries," he added.

Jobs at Slaithwaite will not be threatened by the changes.