We MUST stop this Royal Mail heist: Six reasons why the sale to a Czech tycoon is bad news

The postie, in his all-weather shorts, is so much-loved in one Hertfordshire village that each Christmas residents buy him a £500 gift voucher, plus champagne and chocolates. Takeover: Daniel Kretinsky, a Czech billionaire who's had historic entanglements with Vladimir Putin's regime in Russia, is close to taking control of Royal Mail Yet this oh-so-familiar institution, which trades on the London stock market as International Distribution Services, is facing an existential crisis. Concerns: Kretinsky, nicknamed the Czech Sphinx, is likely to try to maximise his profits and to scale back service commitments 4) Culture Royal Mail is one of the most recognisable brands in the UK. This uniquely British heritage is unlikely to mean as much if Royal Mail were to become just another outpost in Kretinsky’s commercial empire that has spread from roots in eastern Europe. A body of activist investors believes that if the regulator, Ofcom, gives Royal Mail permission to be more flexible on the price of first-class deliveries and the regularity of the second-class service then Kretinsky’s offer price of 370p per share will prove a bargain for him.