Our busy postmen and women have been thanked for their festive efforts in delivering an extra 10,000 items a day.

The chairman of Dover District Council Cllr Sue Chandler and the Mayor of Sandwich Cllr Paul Graeme visited the Sandwich Delivery Office in King Street to see the operation first-hand and to pass on season’s greetings to staff.

Delivery office manager Michael Moore showed them around and introduced the postmen and women, who are pulling out all the stops to sort and deliver mail over the Christmas period.

Cllr Chandler said: “At no other time is the hard work and dedication of postmen and women clearer than during the festive period.

“I thank them for the extraordinary lengths they go to to ensure Christmas cards and presents are delivered to loved ones on time, and for all they do year-round.”

The festive season is Royal Mail’s busiest period as millions of people shop online for gifts and send Christmas cards and parcels.

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.

Mr Moore said: “It was a pleasure to showcase our operation and to hear the kind words of encouragement and support.

“We are extremely proud of our postmen and women for all their hard work during the festive season and for continuing our proud history of delivering Christmas mail.”

The Mayor of Deal Cllr David Cronk has also commended the work of staff in the Deal Delivery Office in Stanhope Road.

They have been working from 4.45am to 5.30pm every day to deal with up to 47,000 items coming in.

Usually, they would handle between 32,000 and 35,000 pieces of mail a day.

Cllr Cronk said: “I’d like to commend the staff for all their hard work throughout the year but especially at this busy time.”