Royal Mail fined £10,500,000 for failing to deliver parcels on time

Royal Mail has been slapped with a £10.5 million fine for not delivering parcels quick enough.

In a concerning sign in the runup to Christmas, Ofcom has given revealed they are handing out the fine after only three-quarters of first class post was delivered on time.

And 92.7% of second class post was delivered on time, below its 98.5% target, it said.

The fine is the second in two years, after the watchdog also gave Royal Mail a £5.6 million penalty in November 2023.

Ian Strawhorne, Ofcom director of enforcement, said: ‘With millions of letters arriving late, far too many people aren’t getting what they pay for when they buy a stamp.

‘Royal Mail’s poor service is now eroding public trust in one of the UK’s oldest institutions.

‘This is the second time we’ve fined the company since the pandemic.

‘Royal Mail has provided an improvement plan, and we’re seeing some signs of progress, but it must go further and faster to deliver the service that people expect.’

Royal Mail has released there last delivery dates ahead of Christmas.

For Second Class delivery, customers should post gifts by Wednesday December 18.

For First Class, customers have until Friday December 20 to post their presents.

Customers can also pay for Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, which ensures gifts will still arrive in time for Christmas if posted by December 23.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.