FIRST-CLASS post services in York have improved, despite problems across the region as Royal Mail failed to meet a raft of targets.

New figures released today show that more than two-thirds of households and businesses in the North received an "unacceptable" standard of service for first-class mail in 2004/5.

Postal bosses have been set a minimum national target of 92.5 per cent of first-class mail being delivered the next working day.

In the North, Royal Mail failed to hit this target in 20 of its 30 postcode areas.

In York, performance rose from 90.3 per cent in 2003/4 to 93.4 per cent in 2004/5.

However, in Harrogate, first-class deliveries slumped from 91.8 to 91.1.

A postal watchdog today said areas of the Royal Mail's service remained far from first-class, with many customers not getting value for money.

Judith Donovan, chairman of Postwatch North, said: "Royal Mail's service is showing signs of improvement, and Postwatch welcomes efforts to drive up the quality of service customers receive."

She said: "There remain, however, many areas throughout the North where the first-class post service is unacceptably poor and needs to improve. Simply put, most customers in northern England are not getting the service they pay for.

"What's more, they are paying more than ever: stamp price increases over the past couple of years have resulted in more than £400 million extra revenue for Royal Mail.

The postwatch chairman called on the company to "redouble" its efforts to ensure all customers are given a fair deal. Postwatch North will be pressing Royal Mail for action in underperforming area," she said.

Today's results show that the heavily populated areas where the company failed to meet its target included Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle.

Postwatch said that about 69 per cent of delivery points across the North received a "sub-standard" - below 92.5 per cent - service.

Throughout the UK, Royal Mail failed to achieve the 92.5 per cent target in 86 of the 118 postcode areas.

A Royal Mail spokesman said the figures came against a backdrop of "massive change" in the industry, with investment in new technology and infrastructure.

Updated: 10:31 Monday, May 23, 2005