THE Post Office is preparing for a busy Christmas period after handling over five million items of mail during December last year.

It is urging everyone to try and post items as early as possible and to make sure all items are addressed with a postcode to speed up the sorting process.

To ensure that customers don't miss out on their festive cards and gifts reaching their destination before Christmas the last posting dates have been announced:

December 6 – Airmail bound to South and Central America, Caribbean, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Far East (except Japan), Australia and New Zealand

December 10 - Mail for the USA, Canada, Japan and Eastern Europe

December 13 – Western Europe

December 21 – UK

December 22 – Last day for Parcelforce 48

December 23 – Special Delivery with next day guaranteed delivery, Parcleforce next day and sending post locally

For the friends and family of HM Forces personnel mail must be sent by December 3, for operational British Forces Post Offices and no later than December 16, for static British Forces Post Offices. They can continue to send letters and parcels up to 2kg free of charge.

To assist customers during the busy period the Douglas Sorting Office will be open to post parcels and packages from 9am to 7pm Monday to Friday from December 6 to December 23.

Items need to be posted before 6.45pm to ensure dispatch to the UK and overseas that evening. The counter will close at 12.30pm on Christmas Eve.

The mail and parcel collection counter at the sorting office will extend its opening hours and be open from 7am to 9.30pm Monday to Friday from December 6 to December 23.

Douglas Sorting Office will close at 6pm on Christmas Eve and New Year.

Information about posting dates, addressing standards, advice on wrapping and packing can be found here.