Free Christmas postage to troops

UK troops in Iraq will benefit

The families of British troops involved in overseas operations will be able to send Christmas parcels free of charge, Tony Blair has announced.

Mr Blair told MPs families would be able to "send postal packets, free of charge, from anywhere in the UK".

The service, covering roughly shoebox sized parcels up to 2kg, applies from 17 November to 15 December.

The free postage service for forces in Iraq was halted in March as it was deemed unfair on forces elsewhere.

"Christmas is a special time when our thoughts are with those who are deployed overseas and we wish to recognise the exceptional commitment made by our service men and women worldwide," Mr Blair said.

"We will then see what happens after that period of time," added Mr Blair.

The free service does not just relate to personnel in Iraq, but also to those involved in any operations overseas - such as in Afghanistan and Cyprus.