SUFFOLK is benefiting from a significantly improved postal system, new statistics revealed today.The watchdog for postal services - Postwatch East of England - welcomed the figures which show improvements in first class postal performance across the IP area.

SUFFOLK is benefiting from a significantly improved postal system, new statistics revealed today.

The watchdog for postal services - Postwatch East of England - welcomed the figures which show improvements in first class postal performance across the IP area.

The national minimum target for first class delivery is 93 per cent. In the IP area the figures show post is being delivered the next working day at a rate of 94.2 pc, the third highest in East Anglia behind Cambridge and Stevenage.

Across East Anglia, first class performance improved in all of the nine postcode areas compared to the 2004-2005 annual results.

Dr Charles Winstanley, chairman of Postwatch East of England welcomed the statistics, but warned further improvement was required.

He said: “These figures show Royal Mail is making progress in driving up performance standards for first class post.

“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.

“There are still several areas of concern in the east, particularly Norwich and Peterborough. Postwatch will continue to hold meetings with Royal Mail when we identify areas of concern and ask for information on how improvements will be maintained.”

He added: “Postwatch will press Royal Mail to ensure that the postal service continues to improve across the region and that customers get the service they pay for.”

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