SEVEN Reading postcodes are about to benefit from the biggest change to the Royal Mail postboxes in 160 years – and they’re specifically for parcels.

The new form of postboxes are being rolled out across the country, 58 in the Thames Valley, and will now accept parcels just like they do letters.

The postboxes include a wider opening and secure design, ready for pre-paid parcels to be posted at any time, seven days a week.

Return parcels will need to have a Royal Mail barcode.

Royal Mail head of campaigns Mark Street said: “The introduction of the first parcel post boxes in the Thames Valley area means that customers can now send parcels with pre-paid postage and their returns in the same way that they do letters.

"The new parcel postboxes provide added flexibility to online sellers who might be running a business in their spare time and not keeping regular office hours."

The launch of parcel postboxes is also one of the biggest innovations in parcels since the launch of Parcel Post in 1883.

Royal Mail revealed today the seven areas around Reading that are among the first to benefit from the new postboxes.

Parcel postboxes have been introduced across Reading. The locations include:

Cardiff Road RG1 8EW

Ruscombe Lane RG10 9JN

Polehampton Close RG10 9RP

Craddock Road RG2 0JT

Basingstoke Road RG2 0QN

Imperial Way RG2 0TD

Arborfield Cross RG2 9QD

Portman Road RG30 1EA

Headley Road East RG5 4SA

Suttons Business Park RG6 1AZ

Benyon Road RG7 2PQ

Calleva Park RG7 8PN

Horseshoe Park RG8 7JW

The initiative follows a successful trial of the boxes in 2018 and will roll-out about 1,400 parcel boxes across the country.