NORTH Cornwall Conservative MP, Scott Mann, has visited Royal Mail delivery offices around North Cornwall to thank local postmen and women for their hard work during the busiest period of the year, as millions of people shopped online for gifts and sent Christmas cards and parcels.

This year Royal Mail has been celebrating its 500th anniversary, with the festive period marking half a millennium of delivering Christmas cards and parcels.

Mr Mann visited delivery offices in Wadebridge, Bodmin and Bude to see the teams delivering the Christmas post and to pass on season’s greetings to its hardworking staff and his former colleagues.

Before becoming an MP, Mr Mann worked for the Royal Mail for nearly 20 years.

As Royal Mail’s 500th anniversary draws to a close, this Christmas provides an opportunity to reflect on the centuries of hard work delivering to every single address in the UK.

Commenting on his visits, Mr Mann said: “At no other time is the hard work and dedication of postmen and women clearer than during the festive period. The work is pretty relentless and as a former postman I know how hard the guys and girls work and the number of hours they put in.

“I wanted to thank them for the great lengths they go to ensure Christmas cards and presents are delivered to everyone on time, on top of the work they do all year-round.”