Reusing stamps

SIR – Your Leading Article, “Frankly criminal” (December 1), says that it is plain theft to reuse stamps.

Stamps are either mint or used. If they have not been defaced by franking or some other cancellation, they are still mint and, if undamaged, may be used as legal postage tender.

The Royal Mail must lose thousands by neglecting to frank post. Alan Hall

Harpenden, Hertfordshire

SIR – The problem with stamps not being cancelled by Royal Mail is much worse at Christmas.

Many cards are hand-sorted by casual staff. When the shift starts to run out of time, stamps are no longer cancelled manually. Ted Shorter

Tonbridge, Kent

SIR – At your local stamp-collectors’ fair, you will be able to buy Christmas stamps from previous years at face value or less.

Such has been the decline in stamp collecting that dealers buy stamps for as little as half their face value and so can afford to offer the public a bargain. Roger Holden

Richmond, Surrey