Delays to start of rival Business Post service

Shares in Business Post fell 5 per cent to 356.5p after the mail delivery group warned that its hopes of setting up a rival business post service to Royal Mail had been delayed. The group, which owns UK Mail, is waiting for the postal regulator to rule on how much it must pay Royal Mail to get its postal workers to deliver UK Mail’s post to home addresses. Business Post admitted it was unlikely to launch the service – planned for this month – until nearer the summer. The UK market for bulk mail is worth about pounds 1.4bn annually.