Further to the report on Royal Mail wanting to charge a collection fee of £2,661 for Select World Travel to collect its mail before 8.30am (Malvern Gazette & Ledbury Reporter, September 10), I would like to clarify that our gripe is not with the Malvern sorting office and its excellent staff.

It is with the hierarchy at the London offices of Royal Mail, who have sent us a letter wishing to make this ridiculous charge and who make the initial policies.

When Royal Mail changed its system in February to one delivery, understandably there were hiccups while the new system went into place.

After the change occurred, Select World Travel took the commercial decision to collect its mail.

Since April, a new postman has been delivering in Church Street and gives an excellent service and in general I believe our mail would be delivered before 7.45am, as most businesses are now receiving this excellent standard of service, but we had decided in February that we could not run a successful business unless this was to be guaranteed.

Before the article in last week's Gazette, an offer for us to still collect our post before 8.30am as we do now, without charge, was made by the local sorting office, and we really appreciated this gesture.

I believe we are left with four options, following the directive issued by the London office.

We can still collect before 8.30am at a charge of £2,661, have a timed delivery at a charge of £2,661, have a standard delivery service, or collect ourselves after 8.30am. We have made a decision to follow the latter.

We have written to our MP about this charge and, again, I would re-iterate that our complaint is with London and the charge and not with the postmen and women or staff at the Malvern sorting office.

Lee Harrison, owner/director Select World Travel, Church Street, Malvern.