MP puts his own stamp on post row (From Gazette)

MP puts his own stamp on post row

3:40pm Tuesday 7th April 2009

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COLCHESTER MP Bob Russell has taken matters into his own hands in retaliation at Royal Mail franking the town’s post as “Chelmsford”.

The Lib Dem feels using the name of the county town is “relegating Colchester further behind its main commerce and retail rival.”

He has had his own Colchester frank made to ensure Britain’s first Roman capital is given due prominence on the thousands of items of mail he sends each year.

“The franks used to display ‘South East Anglia, I’m not sure why this has changed,” Mr Russell said. “Certainly, the 5,000 or more letters leaving my constituency offices every year will now display my Colchester frank.”

Featuring an oyster and the slogan “Colchester, the pearl of the east,” Mr Russell’s franking design is the work of his son Mark.

Colchester historian Andrew Phillips agreed it was important to fly the flag for the town.

“The moving of the sorting office from Colchester to Chelmsford ten years ago and the franking of post are further features of centralisation today,” he said.

“It raises the issue of securing a visible evidence of Colchester's wider status and the concern we should have for it.”

The South East Anglia frank was settled on as a compromise a decade ago when Colchester lost its sorting office, on the Wickes DIY store site in North Station Road.

Mr Russell said he had only recently noticed its being replaced with the Chelmsford mark.

Royal Mail spokesman James Taylor said the change had been made months ago.

He added: “The postal address and postcode is the primary sorting and routing instruction for our equipment and staff who deal with around 80 million items of mail a day in the UK network.

“Quality of Service for the CO postcode this year is over and above targets.”

l Royal Mail yesterday confirmed the price of both first and second class stamps has increased by three pence.

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