A YORK courier firm has reported unprecedented demand in the lead up to Christmas after processing more than 2,700 deliveries in 24 hours.

Increased demand in the festive season saw Classic Carriers LTD receive 3,285 parcels for delivery on December 16, compared to 2,189 on the equivalent day last year.

The firm has also taken on six temporary employees, and has extended its fleet of delivery vehicles with the addition of five Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans to cope with record parcel numbers in December.

Paul McLaren, operations director at Classic Carriers, based in Barton Hill, said: “It always gets busier as we approach Christmas and it’s a real credit to our dedicated team of staff that we’ve been able to increase the number of parcels we deliver year on year.

"It’s great to be providing such an important service to so many local businesses in North Yorkshire to ensure all their parcels are delivered across the UK – it’s a collaborative effort across the APC Overnight network throughout the festive period."