Royal Mail requests permission to stop Saturday letter delivery

Firm reports 219m half-year losses and asks government to let it move to weekday-only service to cut costs

Royal Mail has asked the government to let it stop delivering letters on Saturdays, arguing it is financially unsustainable and that there is widespread public apathy over the need for a weekend service.

Royal Mail said it needed to move to a weekday-only letter delivery service as soon as possible - which can only happen if the government allows a change to the company's universal service obligations - after it reported a 219m loss in the six months to September.