POSTAL deliveries in the Atherton area were delayed slightly after an anthrax scare at the town's sorting office.

A suspicious package was discovered at 6.30am on Saturday at the Crab Tree Lane premises where it was isolated until police arrived to investigate.

A police spokesman said: "There was about a teaspoonful of suspicious white powder on a sorting trolley, we are unsure where it came from, but it was found to be harmless."

A spokesperson for Consignia - formerly Royal Mail - said: "There were disruptions to mail in the M46 post code area, but after the powder was declared harmless normal service resumed. The staff were trained to be vigilant even before the September 11 attacks in the USA. This incident has cost time and money and caused mail to be delayed."