LEADERS of a campaign by York businesses angrily demanding earlier postal deliveries have emerged "reasonably satisfied" from a meeting with Royal Mail.

Adam Sinclair, chairman of the York Chamber of Trade, today said: "Core areas covered by delivery vans have definitely improved, with the understandable exception of the effects of occasional illness."

But he conceded that the new cost-cutting system of having one delivery rather than two - which has been rolled out to the whole of Yorkshire with the exception of Bridlington and Scarborough - will continue to be late in areas where postmen are on foot.

"It is not going to improve. It is a national phenomenon which everyone in this country will have to accept given the Royal Mail's losses of £2 million a day," he said.

Mr Sinclair, proprietor of Mulberry Hall specialist glassware shop, and Gerry Gray of Grosvenor Financial Consultants of York, yesterday met Andrew Lamb, Royal Mail's Yorkshire area regional manager, and other officials, at the Leeman Road sorting office.

Both sides had been monitoring delivery times following a meeting between angry business community members and Royal Mail officials at York's Mansion House in February.

In the run-up to the Mansion House clash, more than 70 people, mostly from businesses, complained to the Evening Press that their post, cut from two deliveries to one, was not arriving until lunchtime or even 3pm.

But following yesterday's meeting, Mr Sinclair said: "We were reasonably satisfied and encouraged by the welcome, the time and understanding shown by the Royal Mail executive.

"It was clear that Royal Mail was succeeding in implementing the new system as smoothly as possible and is working with large-scale businesses to improve the times."

He added: "Meanwhile, we have a very workable and encouraging deal for the majority of the York business community. It is a great achievement and a great move forward for York businesses, whose distinctive concerns have been listened to. Royal Mail has done the best it could under the new agenda imposed upon it nationally."

But he urged businesses to stay vigilant and report extreme difficulties to the Evening Press, "which has been hugely supportive in our campaign".

Updated: 10:42 Tuesday, March 09, 2004