ROYAL Mail is launching a "nominate a neighbour" delivery scheme to allow people to have their parcels delivered to a nearby address when they are out.

The postal service already delivers parcels to neighbours of recipients, but the new scheme - which is already being used by other delivery firms - will allow people to pick a preferred address for the first time.

Sue Whalley, chief operations officer at Royal Mail, said the service offered convenience to customers and helped postal workers deliver parcels and letters first time rather than having to take items back to the office.

Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd, added: "Consumers tell us they are put off buying online because of delivery failures so Royal Mail's initiative is a step in the right direction.

"But retailers should take responsibility and always ask customers upfront what to do if the delivery is unsuccessful. We want retailers to stamp out dodgy deliveries and make sure delivery services are up to scratch every time."

The Communication Workers Union also welcomed the move.