A quarter of a million dead people in Wandsworth will be sent letters this year causing unnecessary distress to thousands of greiving families, according to new research.

Figures supplied by data specialist The REaD Group have revealed more than 53 million pieces of direct mail are addressed to the deceased every year throughout the UK.

Out of that number almost 260,000 letters will be sent to the dead in this borough.

The worst culprits come from the charity sector which sends out over 380 million pieces of mail each year without checking to see whether the names and addresses are still valid.

A man from Wandsworth this week complained that his mother, who died in 2004, was still regularly receving bills in the post.

He says the letters bore the word deceased' in brackets after her name, which has upset and angered him.

The man did not want to be identified because of the distress it may cause the rest of his family.

However he said: "I was absolutely horrified when these letters came through the door. I can't believe they had the audacity to ask for money from, or on behalf of, my late mother. It's totally insensitive.

"What's so upsetting is that she died three years ago and they still haven't updated their databases which is disgraceful. I've had a full apology from the guilty party so I suppose there's not much else I can do."

Mark Roy, of the REaD Group, said: "More than 500,000 people die in the UK annually, around 1,400 a day, and up to 80 pieces of direct mail are sent to them in the year after their death, causing untold suffering to relatives.

"At first, people are overwhelmed by shock, grief and disbelief, but this quickly turns to anger. Sending insensitive and ill-targeted direct mail to people in this stage of grief will backfire badly and will cause long-term reputational damage."

Members of the public are urged to contact the Bereavement Register to record people's deaths to help reduce the amount of post that continues to be sent long after they have died.

According to the REaD Group, this is particularly important in the current climate of so-called impersonations of the dead' where a dead person's identity is stolen to apply for credit cards and loans. This is now recognised as one of the fastest growing ID frauds in the UK.

To sign up to the Bereavement Register, visit thebereavementregister.com or call 0870 600 7222. Application forms can also be found in most funeral directors, police stations, registrars' offices or from solicitors.