RURAL mail deliveries across North Yorkshire could collapse if proposed postal reforms go ahead, it was claimed today.

York postal union leader Paul Clays warned that industry regulator Postcomm's proposals to open up mail deliveries to competition were the biggest threat to guaranteed rural deliveries in postal history.

"Postman Pat, his cat and his van doing their traditional countryside rounds are at risk like never before," he claimed.

"If these proposals go ahead, people in villages across North Yorkshire might have to pick up their mail rather than have it delivered."

MPs are also worried about the proposals, with Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Phil Willis saying he feared the universal postal service, which was the envy of the world, could be "absolutely ruined."

Selby MP John Grogan said he had genuine concerns about the future of rural deliveries, and called for the pace of competition to slow down.

But Postcomm sought today to dismiss fears, with a spokesman saying: "It's a bit of an urban myth. The universal delivery is not under threat from our proposals.

"Postcomm remains committed to the introduction of competition. We believe that this will prove to be in the best interests of the users of postal services, and of Consignia."

Postcomm claimed that the current postal monopoly was not providing its customers with the service they wanted and was failing to contain its costs. "We believe the most effective way to change this is for the company to face real competition."

Mr Clays claimed that under Postcomm's plans, Royal Mail would lose its monopoly for letter delivery and other firms could move in and cherry pick lucrative, low-cost urban deliveries.

He said that without having this business, Royal Mail would no longer be able to subsidise the much greater costs of delivering to rural homes.

"It costs £1.05 to deliver a letter in rural areas, while it is less than the cost of a stamp in cities," he claimed.

He said Royal Mail was already in "dire straits", and the loss of its monopoly could finish it off.

Royal Mail claimed that if Postcomm's proposals came in, it would no longer be able to deliver to the nation's 27 million addresses for 27 pence, and stamp prices would need to rise to 33 pence, or 39 pence including VAT.

Updated: 08:40 Monday, March 11, 2002