A campaigner warned against Royal Mail axing Saturday post (Image: GETTY)

       Royal Mail scrapping Saturday post deliveries would be “another step towards second-class citizenship” for older people, a campaigner has warned.

       Communications regulator Ofcom is set to publish a paper tomorrow outlining options for reform to the company, which could pave the way for a Monday-to-Friday service.

       But Dennis Reed, director of the Silver Voices campaign group for over 60s, warned the move would hit older people hardest.

       He said: “It looks like Ofcom is going to fire the starting gun on a radical review of our postal services.

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       “If it is true that options will include the removal of the requirement for Saturday deliveries, and possibly deliveries to households only on alternate weekdays, it will be the beginning of the end of our universal postal system.

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       “This is classic chicken and egg policy development, you reduce the service so much that people stop using it and then close it all together because of lack of public demand.

       “Older people depend more than others on an efficient postal system as many are still not online, to conduct their everyday household business and for health appointments, and downgrading mail delivery would be another step towards second-class citizenship.

       “Instead of letting Royal Mail off the hook for their appalling service record, Ofcom and the Government would be better employed in either keeping Royal Mail to its contract or renationalising it.”

       The universal service obligation (USO) requires the Royal Mail to deliver letters six days a week.

       But the company, which was privatised in 2013, has previously asked to go down to five days.

       No 10 said the Prime Minister believes Saturday deliveries provide “flexibility and convenience” and suggested he could intervene to stop it happening.

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       “The Prime Minister would not countenance seeing it scrapped,” his spokesman said.

       An Ofcom spokesperson said: “Next week we will set out evidence and options on how the universal postal service might need to evolve to more closely meet consumer needs.

       "We will be inviting views on this, not consulting on specific proposals. It would ultimately be for the UK Government and Parliament to determine whether any changes are needed to the minimum requirements of the universal service.”

       Royal Mail scrapping Saturday post deliveries

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