The queues at the Post Office are longer now than they were a year ago, it has been claimed.

New research by Consumer Focus revealed the average amount of time spent waiting in line to sort out mail has gone up to six minutes and seven seconds, a climb from 2008's figure of five minutes and 40 seconds.

And the utility service watchdog is now calling on the company to work on refurbishing some of its offices so as to reduce these queues.

It has also recommended increasing staff numbers during busy periods and opening extra counters.

Post office expert at Consumer Focus Andy Burrows noted: "Customer experience is crucial to the long-term health of the network", adding that the business should focus on attracting new clients and not just retaining current ones.

In related news, it has emerged that many Britons are turning away from the time-honoured tradition of posting Christmas cards because of the strikes that occurred earlier in the year.

A survey from uSwitch.com discovered that 15 per cent are cutting back in this area.

Author:  Paul Burn