WHEN you pay for a first-class service, you expect to receive it. But not at Christmas, it appears, when those of us using Royal Mail are expected to show a large degree of seasonal charity.

Our post test showed almost half the letters we sent in December were not delivered in time we could usually expect.

Of course there is a large increase in usage during December but it is not unexpected and there is a large increase in a temporary workforce as well.

During December the Royal Mail is exempt from its usual target of 93 per cent of first-class mail arriving the next working day.

But surely it is disgraceful the company still expects you to pay the full cost when it knows it will deliver a second-class service.