A LOCAL politician has urged Royal Mail to "earn the price of a stamp" after a controversial new scheme to scrap the second post was introduced on the Fylde coast.

Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Wyre, Ben Wallace, spoke out as Fleetwood became the first Fylde town to lose the Royal Mail second class service on Monday.

The initiative -- which is being introduced across the UK -- means both first and second class customers will be have just one delivery a day, between 7am and lunchtime.

Mr Wallace said: "It is about time that the post office realised they are here for the customers and began to earn the price of a stamp. At the moment the Royal Mail is not customer centred and is more concerned about its own structures than providing a service. It is already struggling to cope with the quantity of first class mail it handles so I fail to see how combining it with second class can help to completely solve efficiency problems

"Many local businesses and authorities who opt to send the majority of their mail by second class post will be forced to shoulder the extra burden of paying first class prices if they want it to be delivered promptly. This is just a way of charging people for a yet undefined new standard of service.

"Pensioners, working people and small businesses will no doubt suffer as a result of this latest Royal Mail initiative."

As part of the new service, Royal Mail customers will be able to collect their mail from a registered local delivery office as an alternative to waiting for the next delivery.

Poulton and Over Wyre areas are expected to be the next offices to adopt the new scheme on January 26, with South Shore following on February 2. Around eleven jobs are already expected to be lost on the Fylde coast as part of the changes but Royal Mail claims there will be no compulsory redundancies.

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: "This is a national initiative and it really is pot luck as to which delivery office is ready to combine first and second services first.

"Fleetwood was the first place on the Fylde which was ready to start with the new system but other areas will be gradually joining them. It makes sense to combine first and second deliveries."