A SURVEY of post boxes across the country has revealed some in the Eden area are still without collection tabs despite an assurance from Royal Mail that the tabs would be reinstated by the summer of 2005.

The tabs, which indicate whether the final daily collection has been made from a post box, were removed by Royal Mail but following customer complaints and a Postwatch campaign the company agreed to re-introduce collection tabs last year.

The survey showed that, of 218 collection boxes visited in Northern England, 108 (50 per cent) did not display collection tabs. In the CA postcode area, which includes Appleby and Kirkby Stephen, 36 post boxes were visited with nine tabs still missing and three were displaying incorrect information. No post boxes in the LA area were included.

Commenting on the survey results, chairman of Postwatch Northern England Judith Donovan said Royal Mail's lack of respect for its customers was indefensible.

"Customers have said they want and need collection tabs. Yet instead of responding to this demand, they have failed to honour a straightforward commitment."

Spokesman for Royal Mail Graham Moore said they were in the process of replacing tabs.

"We have improved the collection plates on our posting boxes to make it even clearer to customers when the last collection will be it's now in large bold type - and our policy is that we don't make the final collection before the last collection time on the plate," he said.