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Royal Mail could be allowed to deliver letters just three days per week, under a series of options outlined by the industry regulator to help the company run a sustainable service.

Ofcom said its consultation document was designed to spark a “national debate” on the future of the UK’s postal service.

It separately announced that the cost of a Second Class stamp would be capped until March 2027 to ensure an affordable option for consumers and businesses.

The possible relaxation of loss-making Royal Mail’s Universal Service Obligation (USO), which currently demands deliveries six days per week, met furious union opposition earlier this week after Sky News revealed at the weekend that the discussion paper was to be published on Wednesday.

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Ofcom said it was clear there was a need for change due to a sharp decline in letter volumes and rising costs, but it said there would be no relaxation of the company’s delivery targets.

Its two main options were changes to existing First and Second Class and business products so most letters are delivered through a service taking up to three days or longer, with a next-day service still available for any urgent letters.

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The other was reducing the number of letter delivery days in the service from six to five or even three.

“This would require government and parliament to change primary legislation”, the watchdog said, adding that Royal Mail could achieve annual savings of up to £650m under the most drastic option.

The consultation is due to end in April.

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Royal Mail review a ‘complete sham’

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) had warned on Monday the outcome of Ofcom’s review was “predetermined” and that significant cuts to Royal Mail’s letter delivery obligations could lead to tens of thousands of job losses among its 112,000 members.

Its general secretary Dave Ward said in response to the consultation: “This report is completely dead in the water.

“The response to the leaked information over the week showed that CWU members, the public and politicians are united against the deliberate, manufactured destruction of the postal service.

“In the ongoing debate, Ofcom now have no credibility whatsoever, and their views are an irrelevance to the discussion that must take place between postal workers, businesses and customers.”

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Postal reductions ‘very worrying’

In an interview with Sky News, Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes dismissed the notion that conclusions had already been made but conceded “we don’t think that doing nothing is an option.”

The union may indeed find unlikely support from the Conservative government in Downing Street.

The prime minister’s official spokesman signalled earlier this week he was not in favour of a relaxation to the six-day delivery commitment.

Rishi Sunak was said to be of the “strong view” deliveries Monday to Saturday provided “flexibility and convenience and were important for businesses”.

Royal Mail has made a case for reform since 2020, saying the USO had not been updated since 2011 to reflect modern trends, with letter volumes collapsing from a peak of 20 billion to just seven billion in that time.

The loss-making company had warned its very existence would be under threat without government aid, if the terms of the USO were to remain unchanged.

The most likely option is thought to be the scrapping of Saturday post.

Ofcom said in its document that fewer delivery days could still meet most people’s needs.

Its survey of postal users found 88% prioritised reliability for letter deliveries, compared with 58% for delivery on Saturdays.

The proposals follow cuts to delivery days across many other European countries – with postal services hit widely by the shift to email and online greetings cards.

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Girl, 10, and father, who died in caravan park fire in Lincolnshire named

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Girl, 10, and father, who died in caravan park fire in Lincolnshire named

Two people who died following a fire at a caravan site near Skegness have been named by police.

Lincolnshire Police said 48-year-old Lee Baker and his 10-year-old daughter Esme Baker, both from the Nottingham area, were killed in the blaze.

However, formal identification is still yet to take place and “could take some time”, the force said.

Emergency services were alerted to a fire at Golden Beach Holiday Park, in the village of Ingoldmells, at 3.53am on Saturday.

In a statement issued through police, a member of the Baker family said: “Lee and Esme were excited to be spending the first weekend of the holidays together.

“We are all utterly devastated at what’s happened.

“This loss is incomprehensible at the moment, and we ask for people to give us space to process this utterly heartbreaking loss.”

A GoFundMe page set up for the victims’ family described the father and daughter as “two peas in a pod” who were “both happy-go-lucky people who loved life”. It has so far raised more than £3,000.

The police force, together with Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue, are continuing to investigate the cause of the blaze.

Detective Inspector Lee Nixon said: “We believe we might be close to arriving at a working hypothesis.

“We are working hard to validate the facts available to us to be able to provide answers for the family and loved ones of those who were very tragically taken by this fire.

“Yet the evident intensity of the fire has made this task incredibly challenging.”

Dan Moss, from Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue, said: “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the family at this time.

“Our Fire Investigation Team is working with colleagues from Lincolnshire Police, and a full investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

“Once investigations are complete, local fire crews and our community fire safety team will be on hand to talk to people in the area and address any fire safety concerns they may have, at what will be an upsetting time.”

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Man arrested over wildfire that triggered ‘major incident’ in Northern Ireland

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Man arrested over wildfire that triggered 'major incident' in Northern Ireland

A man has been arrested by police investigating a “significant” wildfire that triggered a major incident in Northern Ireland.

More than 100 firefighters and 15 fire appliances were deployed on Saturday to Sandbank Road, Hilltown, to tackle the blaze which is believed to have been caused deliberately, fire chiefs said.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said the fire had a front of approximately two miles “including a large area of forestry close to property”.

It was extinguished at 2.53am on Sunday and the major incident status lifted, the NIFRS said.

“The cause of this fire is believed to have been deliberate,” chief fire and rescue officer Aidan Jennings said.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said on Sunday that a 25-year-old man had been arrested “on suspicion of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, and non-related driving offences”.

“He remains in custody at this time as enquiries continue into the circumstances surrounding the fire,” the force added.

A wildfire broke out in Northern Ireland. Pic: Sky Watch NI
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The wildfire on Sandbank Road, Hilltown. Pic: Sky Watch NI

A wildfire broke out in Northern Ireland. Pic: Sky Watch NI
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More than 100 firefighters were at the scene of the fire. Pic: Sky Watch NI

Various fires erupted across England this week amid uncharacteristically warm and dry conditions for the time of year.

On Saturday, helicopters were deployed to tackle Scotland’s fourth wildfire this week, with police saying a blaze “which started in the Newton Stewart area has spread northwards and is expected to reach the Loch Doon area of East Ayrshire around 12am on Sunday”.

Police Scotland added: “As a precautionary measure members of the public are asked to avoid the Loch Doon area and anyone who may be camping in the area is advised to leave.”

Dorset wildfires
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Moors Valley Country Park blackened by fires this week

Elsewhere in England, Devon and Cornwall Police said they were assisting the fire service with temporary road closures on the A30 in the Bolventor area as they tackle “a number of fires” on moorland.

In Dorset, Moors Valley Country Park was forced to close after multiple wildfires broke out there on Wednesday.

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Wildfires spread across nature reserve

Separate incidents were then reported at Upton Heath in Poole on Wednesday, and nearby Canford Heath in the early hours of Thursday.

Friday was officially the warmest day of the year so far – with temperatures in the south of England reaching 23C (73.4F) – the highest since 21 September last year, according to the Met Office.

The weather conditions triggered a “severe” wildfire rating for parts of the UK on Tuesday.

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Man shot dead in Stanley, County Durham

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Man shot dead in Stanley, County Durham

Police are investigating after a man was shot dead in County Durham.

Officers were called to an address in Elm Street, Stanley, at about 5.20pm on Saturday after reports of a “disturbance”, Durham Constabulary said.

A man in his 50s was found to have been shot and despite the efforts of paramedics he was pronounced dead at the scene.

His family have been told and are being supported by specially trained officers.

Specialist crime scene investigators are at the scene, and officers are carrying out house-to-house enquiries.

A cordon is in place and is expected to stay there for some time.

Detective Superintendent Neil Fuller said: “This is a truly shocking incident in which a man has been shot and has sadly died.”

He added: “Residents may see an increased police presence in the area. I would like to thank them for their support while we carry out this investigation.

“Our thoughts are with the man’s family at this time.”

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Durham Constabulary has urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage or CCTV to contact the force.

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