Royal Mail overseas services return to post offices

International mail services have finally been reinstated at UK post offices, more than a month after Royal Mail was hit by a cyber attack.

The breach on 10 January caused a backlog that led to long delays for consumers and businesses.

Most services had been restored online but remained unavailable at 11,500 Post Office branches.

Royal Mail said it was now processing "close to normal daily volumes" of international mail with "some delays".

"International export services have now been reinstated to all destinations for purchase online and through our shipping solutions," it added.

After the ransomware attack last month, Royal Mail customers were told to stop sending parcels and mail overseas altogether.

Customers - many of them small businesses - complained of long delays that made sending goods abroad impossible.

A ransomware group named Lockbit linked to Russia claimed responsibility for the cyber incident.

Royal Mail gradually reinstated services online, with the option of dropping items off at a Post Office branch or having them collected at home.

But Neill O'Sullivan, managing director parcels and mails at the Post Office, said postmasters had been left unable "support businesses and consumers" wanting to send parcels and mail abroad.

"For many small businesses, Post Offices are an integral part of their business set-up and this has been a challenging time for them," he said.

"These past weeks have been difficult for postmasters who through no fault of their own have missed out on remuneration for providing international mail services," he added.

The Post Office said it was giving extra money to postmasters for handling international items in new fixed payments for each transaction.

The problems have coincided with ongoing strikes by Royal Mail postal workers which have affected domestic deliveries.

On strike days, the postal firm has been unable to deliver first and second-class letters. However, it says it will deliver as many parcels and Special Delivery letters as possible.