EAST Lothian’s MSP has thanked the county’s Royal Mail staff for “going the extra mile” this year.

Iain Gray visits a local delivery office each year to thank staff personally for delivering mail during the Christmas period, but is unable to this year due to Covid-19 social distancing guidelines.

Instead, he has written and sent Scottish Parliament Christmas cards to staff to thank them for keeping the country going through lockdown.

Ahead of Christmas, Mr Gray said: “Our postmen and women were among the heroic key workers who kept society going during lockdown.

“The festive period is always extremely busy for them, but with the likelihood of a significant increase in mail and parcels, this year is set to be even busier than usual.

“A huge amount of effort will again go into delivering a first-class Christmas all over the country, and I wanted to take the opportunity to thank our postal workers for their dedication now and throughout the year.”