Deliver us our daily mail; SAYS.

THE news that Royal Mail is recruiting 30,000 temporary staff to deal with the backlog left by the planned postal strikes is certain to whip up a storm of controversy.

Chief Executive Adam Crozier today reveals that he is taking on double the number of temporary workers usually brought in to deal with the Christmas postal rush.

He makes no bones about it, admitting that they will be used to help clear the inevitable mountain of mail that will pile up as the dispute drags on.

The Communication Workers Union is incensed, saying Royal Mail should sort out its complaints about pay and conditions, rather than splash out on this army of pretend posties.

While we have some sympathy with the plight of our hard-pressed postmen, we are sure that the news will be warmly welcomed by most readers.

Small businesses already reeling on the ropes after their bout with the recession feared they could go to the wall if postal deliveries were halted.

Families squeezed by the credit crunch are worried what they will do if the cheque isn't in the post, or if they can't get their ebay goods out on time.

And that's before we even start to think of Christmas cards and presents.

We urge Royal Mail and the CWU to resume talks and to guarantee the deliveries on which we all depend.