A Government consumer watchdog has said complaints about the delivery of goods ordered online are up nearly 30 per cent on last year.

The report from Consumer Direct comes as long queues formed at sorting offices up and down the country of shoppers desperate to get hold of goods ordered online, but not delivered by the Royal Mail.

There were widespread reports that postal staff were failing to knock at doors to deliver parcels, instead just putting cards through letterboxes telling shoppers to go to their local sorting offices.

Private courier businesses have also been affected, with Walter Blackwood, chairman of Home Delivery Network, quoted in the Daily Telegraph saying: "The sheer volume means that, unfortunately, it's inevitable that thousands will go missing."