ROYAL Mail customers in Oxfordshire are getting the fourth worst postal service in the country, according to a survey out today.

The Postwatch survey showed that only 80.6 per cent of first-class mail was delivered on time. The target is 93 per cent.

Stoke-on-Trent had the worst record with 79.4 per cent of first-class mail delivered on time, while Twickenham had the best with 89.9 per cent.

Najma Hafeez, chairman of Postwatch Midlands, said: "Royal Mail's recovery was severely blown off course by last summer's strikes.

"Figures released today confirm that customers received poor levels of service."

New figures out in March showed the delivery rate of first-class letters in the OX postcode area was the fifth worst in the country.

The report to industry regulator Postcomm showed that just 73.3 per cent of first-class mail in the area reached its destination on time.

During July, August and September last year, when Royal Mail workers in Oxford went on strike for several days, the figure slipped to 67.7 per cent.