Bradford posties have delivered a hands-off warning to bosses who are considering radical plans to scrap morning rounds to homes.

The Royal Mail needs to make savings of £1.26bn a year. Cost-cutting measures are being mooted with unions warned last October that up to 30,000 jobs may be under threat.

But postal workers in the district are against one proposal to prioritise deliveries so businesses receive their post before householders.

Currently they aim to deliver to homes in urban areas by 10am but the plan could involve household deliveries being delayed until mid-afternoon.

Today, Bradford Communica-tions Worker Union branch secretary Eddie McTigue said: "A change in the delivery routine is one of a number of things being considered. The plans would need Government approval and it will take some persuading.

"Postmen and women presently generally prefer shift work and early-morning starts. To have people working in the afternoon and evenings would require a different pool of labour."

A spokesman for Consignia, formerly the Post Office which owns the Royal Mail, said: "This is just speculation at this point. We are looking at a whole range of options. We are living in a changing world where lifestyles have changed. Most people now leave for work before 8am. We are bound to one delivery each day but at no particular time. We will be talking to customers, employees and other agencies before any decisions are made."

Other ideas include services for customers wishing to collect their mail themselves.

Mr McTigue said: "I think in rural and semi-rural areas a collection point, known as a private box office, would be useful, but a reliable, secure system would need to be set up."

A spokesman for the post regulatory board Postcom said: "We can't make the Royal Mail do a morning delivery. It is only required to make one collection each day.