Royal Mail delivers record numbers of parcels for Christmas thanks to the online shopping boom

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The online shopping boom helped Royal Mail deliver record numbers of parcels for Christmas.

Parcel volumes were up 6 per cent for the nine months to December 24, the biggest rise since it was privatised in 2013.

It was fuelled by people shopping on Amazon, one of Royal Mail's biggest customers.

Moya Greene, chief executive, said she was also close to resolving an industrial dispute which has dogged it for months.

Greene said: 'We have had a good performance thanks to the hard work and dedication of our people.

'They pulled out all the stops to deliver a great Christmas for the UK.'

Royal Mail said volumes at Parcelforce Worldwide, its international arm, were up 2 per cent thanks to new contracts.

Letter volumes fell by 5 per cent, less than expected, with group revenues up 2 per cent.

Shares fell by 0.9 per cent, or 4p, to 463.2p.