Fake stamps ‘undermining UK’S social fabric’

Post Office steps up pressure on Royal Mail to abandon ‘unfair’ fines for innocent customers

CHINESE counterfeit stamps are undermining Britain’s social fabric, the Post Office has warned as it increased pressure on Royal Mail to scrap fines for fake stamps. A senior director said the scourge of Chinese criminals printing fake stamps had “undermined one of the great institutions”, adding it was “part of the fabric of our society” to be able to buy a legitimate stamp.

They joined a growing number of MPS putting pressure on Royal Mail to reconsider the “unfair” £5 fines for recipients who collect post which has been deemed to be sent with a counterfeit stamp.

An investigation by The Telegraph found China is flooding Britain with counterfeit stamps – with suppliers offering to produce up to one million fake Royal Mail stamps a week and deliver them to Britain within days. Neill O’sullivan, managing director of parcels and mail at the Post Office, said: “It is a scourge that people are counterfeiting these online or through other channels. This is one of the great institutions, it’s something that people value and it’s part of the fabric of our society to be able to buy a legitimate stamp and post a letter. For that to be undermined is really quite sad.”

Mr O’sullivan said it was “very distressing that particularly vulnerable people would be charged by Royal Mail, [a rule] which they impose”.

Yesterday senior MPS called on Royal Mail to stop the fines, which increased last October from £2.50 to £5, as it investigates issues with new barcoded stamps which has resulted in a spate of customers claiming they have been wrongly surcharged.

The Liberal Democrats said it was “ridiculous” customers were being caught up in Royal Mail’s “mess” and having to pay “unfair” fines.

Paul Scully, a former Post Office minister, also called for the fines to be stopped while Royal Mail investigates the issue. Royal Mail has so far rejected calls to stop the fines, saying the surcharge was part of the reason there has been a 90 per cent reduction in counterfeit stamps.

However there is growing discontent in Westminster about the handling of Royal Mail’s investigation.

A letter sent by Kevin Hollinrake, the postal affairs minister, has called on Royal Mail’s chief executive to “redouble efforts” and “hold those responsible properly accountable”.

Mr Hollinrake said MPS were demanding answers and urged boss Martin Seidenberg to share updates on how the investigation was progressing. He also said he was happy to facilitate talks with other parts of Government, as well as setting up a conversation with UK Border Force after Royal Mail accused officers of not doing enough to stop fake stamps entering Britain.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We want our customers to buy stamps with confidence and always recommend that customers only purchase stamps from Post Offices and other reputable High Street retailers and not to buy stamps online – unless from the official Royal Mail shop.”