SEVEN Oxfordshire postcodes are about to benefit from the biggest change to the Royal Mail postboxes in 160 years - parcel postboxes.

The new form of postboxes are being rolled out across the country, 58 in the Thames Valley, and will now accept parcels just like they do letters.

The postboxes include a wider opening and secure design, ready for pre-paid parcels to be posted at any time, seven days a week. Return parcels will need to have a Royal Mail barcode

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Royal Mail head of campaigns Mark Street said: “The introduction of the first parcel postboxes in the Thames Valley area means that customers can now send parcels with pre-paid postage and their returns in the same way that they do letters.

"The new parcel postboxes provide added flexibility to online sellers who might be running a business in their spare time and not keeping regular office hours."

The launch of parcel postboxes is also one of the biggest innovations in parcels since the launch of Parcel Post in 1883.

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Royal Mail revealed today the seven areas in Oxfordshire that are among the first to benefit from the new postboxes.

Parcel postboxes have been introduced across Abingdon, Milton near Didcot, and across Banbury.

Postcodes include OX14 1DY, OX14 4RY, OX14 4SD, OX14 4SH, OX16 1RH, OX16 3JU, and OX16 4SP.

The initiative follows a successful trial of the boxes in 2018 and will roll-out about 1,400 parcel boxes across the country.