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Postmen at a Royal Mail branch are set to defy bosses by refusing to deliver copies of The Sun newspaper.

The posties at the Skelmersdale office will walk out this week after managers said there was no option but deliver it.

The paper, which remains controversial over its coverage of the Hillsborough tragedy , approached Royal Mail to deliver 22m copies across England as part of a World Cup promotion campaign.

The Sun said it would not deliver copies in Liverpool. But some areas of Merseyside – such as Wirral – have the Chester postcode, while Southport has the Preston postcode and Skem shares the Wigan postcode.

Up to 50 staff at the Skem branch were told of the decision to deliver the paper on Friday.

But posties have reacted angrily.

One said: “I felt sick to be honest that I would have to handle it. We would be delivering it to people that were at Hillsborough and to people that lost a loved one or knew someone that died at Hillsborough.

“You’ll always get people who will do it and people are worried about their jobs, but a good percentage of people will walk out.”

Royal Mail spokesperson Sally Hopkins said: “We have been awarded the contract to deliver a promotional World Cup edition of The Sun to 22 million homes in England on 12 and 13 June.

“The postal service is, of course, open to everyone provided the material they post meets all the relevant legal requirements.

“The Sun has chosen not to include Liverpool in the mailing.

“Any individual concerns will be handled sensitively with fairness, dignity and fully respecting the views of individuals. Local CWU representatives and delivery office managers will work together to agree sensible and amicable solutions.”

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