MAIL deliveries in Huddersfield have shown a slight improvement, according to new figures.

The Royal Mail's minimum service level target is 91% and for the first quarter of 2004/05 Huddersfield services fell way below that to 87.8%.

However, there were slight improvements for the second quarter at 91.1%, and the latest quarter at 91.2%.

But they are still well below those which last year put the town in second place for the most quickly delivered mail in the UK.

The figures have slipped from an impressive 94.8% to 91.2% for the latest quarter on its service standards, which include mail delivered first class.

Judith Donovan, chairman of Postwatch Northern England, said: "It is good that performance continues to improve, but there are still many consumers not getting the service they are entitled to."

Of the 30 postcode areas in the North, a third are below the minimum target for first class mail delivered the next day.

Mrs Donovan said Royal Mail needed to see the minimum targets consistently achieved across the whole region for Royal Mail's performance to be considered acceptable.

She congratulated the management of Wigan and Sunderland areas for achieving the two best postcode performances nationally at 94.3% and 93.9%, respectively.

Chelmsford, London North, Teesside and London West were bottom of the table at 89.7%

In the past the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce has expressed concerns that deliveries could get worse - costing small and medium-sized businesses thousands of pounds.