Royal Mail is launching its annual recruitment drive for thousands of seasonal workers to help sort the Christmas post and the increasing amount of online shopping parcels.

Around 23,000 jobs are available across the UK in Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide - slightly more than last year - mainly to help sort Christmas parcels, cards and letters.

Positions are available from late October until early January, including more than 13,300 mail centre sorting posts in England, around 1,100 in Scotland, 470 in Wales and 445 in Northern Ireland.

Other sorting and driving roles are on offer in Royal Mail logistics and at the company's Heathrow international hub. There are also temporary positions in data inputting.

Royal Mail Group's express parcel business, Parcelforce Worldwide, is also looking for around 2,250 extra people.

Seasonal staff will be paid between £7.83 and £12.48 an hour depending on age and shifts worked.

Royal Mail post and parcels chief executive Sue Whalley, said: "Christmas continues to be our busiest time of year. We plan all year round to ensure we deliver the best possible service for UK consumers and businesses before, during and after the festive season.

"We continue to make this substantial commitment in additional resources, including the recruitment of thousands of temporary workers, to ensure we can continue to deal with the huge amount of festive parcels, cards and online shopping orders, which we will be asked to deliver for our customers in every part of the country."

Click here to view the current list of Royal Mail 'Christmas Casual' vacancies