The postal dispute could be coming to a close.

If members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) accept a 10% pay rise over three years it will signal an end to the row over jobs and conditions which led to a series of walkouts last year.

Union members will be balloted on the offer in the coming weeks.

According to The Guardian newspaper the deal also includes a one-off lump sum of £500 for all CWU-grade employees in Royal Mail and Parcelforce, regardless of union membership – about 120,000 workers.

According to the BBC both the Royal Mail and the CWU said it was a "good" deal.

There are reports that there will also be changes to working patterns, which means postal delivery workers will work 39 hours per week in the peak Christmas season, 35 hours a week over the summer and 37 hours over the rest of the year.