THE watchdog for postal services in the North says the Royal Mail is failing to honour a commitment to reinstate a service it had scrapped.

A survey of postboxes by Postwatch Northern England was carried out in August and September.

It found that, of 2,012 postboxes visited nationally, 47 per cent did not have collection tabs, which show if the final daily collection has been made from a box.

Of 218 postboxes visited in the North, half did not show collection tabs, and of the 110 that did, 17 showed the wrong tab.

Royal Mail removed them in 2002, but after customer complaints and a Postwatch campaign, the company agreed to reintroduce them last year.

A Postwatch Northern England survey in January found that 58 per cent of postboxes in the North did not show tabs.

Commenting on the latest survey results, Postwatch Northern England chairwoman Judith Donovan said: "Royal Mail's lack of respect for its customers is indefensible.

"Customers have said that they want and need collection tabs. Yet instead of responding to this demand, they have failed to honour a straightforward commitment.

"Our survey shows the extent of Royal Mail's failure, with nearly half of all postboxes visited not displaying tabs, and many displaying incorrect information."

No one at Royal Mail was available to comment yesterday.