Going away?   If you are planning to be away from home, you will want to make sure that you do not leave any obvious clues, like a pile of mail on your doormat.  You will also want to make sure that any important letters or valuable documents sent to you whilst you are away are kept in safe hands.

If you do not have a kind neighbour who will pick up the mail daily from your doormat, Royal Mail offers a "Keepsafe" service which gives you peace of mind that your mail is being looked after while you are away and will be delivered to you in the next available delivery after the date you choose.

For only £5.70 you will get up to 17 days "Keepsafe" for everyone in your household listed on the application form.  Royal Mail requires at least five working days from the receipt of the form before they can start your "Keepsafe".  Any mail which arrives for individuals not named on the form will continue to be delivered in the normal way; perishable items will be returned to the sender; recorded items will be held for one week and Special Delivery items will be held for three weeks before being returned to sender.

For further details on "Keepsafe" or an application form, contact Royal Mail on www.royalmail.com or obtain a leaflet from the Post Office.