FIRST-CLASS post services in York and North Yorkshire are improving, according to the post watchdog.

Postwatch Northern England, the watchdog for postal services, welcomed Royal Mail statistics showing significant improvements in first-class postal performance across our region.

In Northern England, first-class post performance improved in 27 of the 30 postcode areas.

Across the UK, performance improved in 109 of the 118 postcode areas.

York came 12th on a list of cities with 94.6 per cent of first-class post being delivered the next working morning. Harrogate came in at 28 with 91.5 per cent.

In York, performance rose from 90.3 per cent in 2003/4 to 94.6 per cent in 2004/5.

In Harrogate, first-class deliveries went up from 91.1 to 91.5.

The best performing postcode area in the region was Lincoln, with 96 per cent of first-class post being delivered the next working day, against a national minimum target of 91.5 per cent.

Nationally, the Royal Mail just failed to achieve this target, delivering 91.4 per cent across the UK.

In 2004/5 more than two-thirds of households and businesses in the North received an "unacceptable" standard of service for first class mail and Royal Mail failed in 11 of its 15 minimum performance targets.

Judith Donovan, chairwoman of Postwatch Northern England, said: "These figures show that Royal Mail is making progress in driving up performance standards for first-class post.

"This is needed. With the UK postal market opening up to competition from January 2006, customers will start looking elsewhere if Royal Mail fails to provide a good service. This possibility is already motivating Royal Mail to get its act together.

"Postwatch will continue to press Royal Mail to ensure that the postal service continues to improve across the region, and that customers get the service they pay for."

For more information, visit Postwatch's website www.postwatch.co.uk

Updated: 10:22 Monday, September 05, 2005