Cost of sending Isle of Man letters to rise to 73p

The price increase will come into force on 4 April

The price of sending mail on the Isle of Man is due to rise by about 9%, the Isle of Man Post Office has said.

Sending a standard letter to an address on the island or in the UK will rise by 6p to 73p from 4 April.

It follows a 5p increase in the cost of a first class postage stamp in each of the past three years.

Chairman Chris Thomas MHK said the Post Office was "feeling the pinch of increased operating costs", including a hike in the mail plane cost.

Sending a letter to further afield is also due to rise in price

Under the changes, letters to the newly introduced Australasia zone are set to rise by 18% in a move a Post Office spokesman said was in keeping with Royal Mail pricing and "a reflection of much higher international prices".

Those sent to America will rise by 10%, while prices for Europe and the rest of the world will increase by 3%.

Mr Thomas said the rises were needed "to protect our first class postal service".

While pricing was an important part of the organisation's transformational strategy, the cost of sending a letter first class remained the lowest in the British Isles, he added.