BOURNEMOUTH East MP Tobias Ellwood is urging people to avoid using red envelopes this Christmas.

Mr Ellwood visited the Royal Mail delivery office in Winton earlier this month, pictured, to see how it deals with the huge quantity of letters and cards which pass through at the busiest time of the year for deliveries.

“Staff informed me that the fluorescent orange codes printed on each envelope for scanning machines to register the address cannot be picked up if printed on a red envelope,” he said.

“This means every red envelope has to be sorted manually.

“My message this Christmas to companies and customers is therefore ditch red envelopes or add an address on a white sticker to help our hard-working posties get every letter delivered as quickly as possible.”

The Royal Mail has recommended a series of last posting dates to ensure people get their cards in time for Christmas – second class is today, first class December 20 and special delivery, December 23.