The Royal Mail is launching a trial of the UK's first ever parcel postboxes.

Small businesses and marketplace sellers will be able to post pre-paid parcels through securely designed parcel postboxes, in the same way that they currently post a letter.

The Royal Mail said it will be the first potential major change of use for the postbox in its last 160 years of existence.

With a wider aperture and secure design for mailing larger items, the parcel postboxes make the posting of larger pre-paid parcels safe and convenient, said the Royal Mail.

The trial launches on Monday in Northampton and Leicester, and will run until November.

Royal Mail will then review consumer feedback and decide whether or not to introduce some parcel postboxes in various locations across the UK.

A spokesman for Royal Mail Parcels said: "The trial of parcel postboxes is one of the many ways we are looking to make the lives of customers easier, giving them more options that suit how they want to do business.

"The trial is aimed at giving more flexibility to online sellers who might be running a business in their spare time and not keeping regular office hours."