Northern Mail, based at Cramlington, has launched a service delivering and collecting post from Berwick-upon-Tweed to York.

It comes off the back of a Governmental review of postal services last December, which recommended that independent mail outlets should be launched to work alongside Royal Mail.

Northern Mail's parent company The Mailing House has been granted a postal operator's licence by regulator Postcomm to provide national services.

It will specialise in the provision of regional services aimed specifically at businesses in the North.

As well as saving an average of 4p on a second class letter, Northern Mail says its service will be a viable and reliable alternative to existing options.

It will also be eco-friendly as 'mail miles' will be kept to a minimum with the post sorted and delivered within the region. Any mail heading outside Northern England will be passed to Royal Mail to deliver at no extra cost to the customer.

Northern Mail Managing Director Jill Peddie-Jones said: "As well as being a more cost effective option, our local service means that we provide a greener alternative and reduce the amount of miles that each letter travels."

Northern Mail has been independently launched by the existing younger management team of The Mailing House Group, a direct mail company which has been established for 26 years.

Mrs Peddie-Jones said: "The Mailing House is a long established company which has been providing direct mail services across the UK for almost three decades and we pride ourselves on our reliability and reputation."

To ensure its service is reliable and efficient, Northern Mail will use a unique tracking service. This will require its postmen and postwomen to scan barcodes on the back of letters at different points on their delivery route, proving the letters have gone through the doors at the right time.

Northern Mail's staff will be recognisable to the public by their navy uniform, displaying the distinctive Northern Mail logo.

Mail will also be collected from business premises in the area up to six days a week.

The company aims to employ up to 50 staff within two years.

To find out more visit www.northernmail.co.uk.