Hundreds of postal workers in Bradford are set to stage a 24-hour strike in a dispute with the Royal Mail.

Businesses and the public have been warned to expect severe disruptions to mail deliveries.

Last ditch talks have been taking place between the Royal Mail's chief executive Adam Crozier and the Communication Workers Union (CWU), to try to avert the strike.

The union has rejected a 2.5 per cent pay offer and warned that Royal Mail's modernisation plans would lead to 40,000 job cuts.

The CWU's regional secretary, Paul Clays, said: "We deeply regret having to take strike action and it is our very last resort.

"We expect a significant number to be involved in the Bradford area."

The union has accused the Royal Mail of cutting costs and reducing services under the banner of modernisation.

Mr Clays said: "We are dealing with an employer that wants to cut 40,000 jobs, keeps hiking up the cost of stamps, and wants to stop Saturday deliveries.

"It is panic-driven. They are just making it worse."

He also urged the public to call on the Royal Mail to negotiate an amicable end to the dispute.

A Royal Mail spokesman said it had developed contingency plans for the strike but he warned that disruption was inevitable if it went ahead.

In a statement on the Royal Mail's website, Mr Cozier says: "The CWU's planned strike action will only add to the very difficult competitive challenges the company and its people are already facing.

"We remain very willing to sit down with the CWU to explain again the absolute need for Royal Mail to modernise and to underline how damaging a strike would be."

Postwatch, an independent watchdog for mail services, warned that mail might not be delivered tomorrow, and that a backlog was to be expected to cause delays into next week.

Essential mail such as hospital appointments, bills and travel tickets could be severely delayed.

Dozens of sub-post offices in the Bradford area will remain open as they are not part of the action.

Peter Finlay, Bradford spokesman for the National Federation of SubPostmasters, said: "Any mail that they are given will be stored securely until they can be delivered. We are very mindful that the strike could occur again or go on for longer, as it is a major dispute."