Royal Mail owner pushes back against criticisms that service has declined

Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský ‘deeply sorry’ for late letters but says Royal Mail is delivering a service ‘nobody else in Europe is doing’

Daniel Křetínský, the Czech billionaire who bought Royal Mail’s parent company for £3.6bn last year, has insisted that service has not declined under his ownership, despite heavy criticism of late deliveries and price rises.

In a defensive and sometimes impassioned performance in front of MPs on the business select committee, Křetínský said he was “deeply sorry” for any letters that arrive late.