BREAKING: Royal Mail scraps major delivery service for millions of Brits in huge shake-up

Royal Mail has been given the green light to scrap Saturday deliveries for second class post in a major shake-up of the postal service, the regulator Ofcom has announced.

Second class post will also only be delivered on alternate weekdays from July 28. Ofcom first announced plans to reduce second class post in January this year, with the proposals being confirmed today.

The regulator estimates that cutting down the number of second class deliveries would save Royal Mail between £250million and £425million. First class post will still be delivered Monday to Saturday.

Natalie Black, Ofcom’s Group Director for Networks and Communications, said: “These changes are in the best interests of consumers and businesses, as urgent reform of the postal service is necessary to give it the best chance of survival.

“But changing Royal Mail’s obligations alone won’t guarantee a better service – the company now has to play its part and implement this effectively.

“We’ll be making sure Royal Mail is clear with its customers about what’s happening, and passes the benefits of these changes on to them.

“As part of this process, we’ve been listening to concerns about increases in stamp prices. So we’ve launched a review of affordability and plan to publicly consult on this next year.”

This is a breaking news story. Follow us on Google News , Flipboard , Apple News , Twitter , Facebook or visit The Mirror homepage.