The Chief Executive of Royal Mail has tried to explain why postmen are forced to deliver leaflets to households with a 'No Junk Mail' sign on the door. Sticker schemes apparently are uncontrollable and potentially open to abuse.

Royal Mail is still making a profit. Last year, the company delivered less addressed mail but this decline was more than compensated for by an increase in parcel volumes. Unaddressed mail volumes are also on the up.

Which? wants regulators to start clamping down on unsolicited calls and texts. If they don't the consumer group will ask government to step in.

The Direct Marketing Association has conceded that it can't substantiate its claim that unsolicited mail generates over £25 billion of postal sales per year. The lobby group now thinks junk mail is worth millions to the UK economy.

A private members bill aimed at tackling postal scams has been binned. Rather than using a sledgehammer to crack a nut the problem can be solved by raising awareness.