POSTAL workers are urging people to avoid using red envelopes this Christmas.

Staff from The Royal Mail have to deal with huge quantity of letters and cards passing through at the busiest time of the year.

They have said that the fluorescent orange codes printed on each envelope for scanning machines to register the address cannot be picked up if printed on a red envelope.

This means every red envelope has to be sorted manually.

People are being asked to ditch red envelopes or add an address on a white sticker to helphard-postmen and womnen get every letter delivered as quickly as possible this Christmas.

The Royal Mail has recommended a series of last posting dates to ensure people get their cards in time for Christmas – second class is December 18, first class December 20 and special delivery, December 23.