Royal Mail today announced a cost-cutting experiment that will mean many households getting their post later in the day.

Crawley is one of 14 towns chosen to test the new system.

Business customers will continue to receive an early delivery before 9am and other customers will receive their post between 9am and lunchtime.

Royal Mail is not specifying the exact time and has not yet given a starting date other than the spring.

It hopes the scheme will eventually be adopted throughout the country in a bid to cut losses and fight competition from fax, email and text messages.

Customers in Crawley will be contacted before the trials get under way.

A Post Office spokeswoman said the organisation would also consider the needs of small businesses working from home.

She said: "The scheme is designed to improve the quality of service for first class mail received the next working day and allows businesses to receive mail earlier.

"It should not have a big impact on residential customers, particularly people who go out to work and don't normally see their post until they get home."

Crawley area manager Paul Meddleton said: "Royal Mail has a duty to provide a service to every one of the UK's 28 million addressees but it is costing us considerably more than the price of a stamp to do this.

"We hope this pilot will help point the way forward."