Ministers are under pressure to open a parliamentary inquiry into the finances of Royal Mail to help to head off a national postal strike.

Dave Ward, deputy general secretary of the Communication Workers' Union, said he believed that the state-owned group was altering the figures in order to push through plans to cut 30,000 jobs.

Meanwhile, the Royal Mail's new chief executive Adam Crozier has admitted that a post strike is probably inevitable.

He blames militant activists and questions whether the row is about pay or a battle with the government.

Crozier believes the government has no plans to privatise the Post Office.