Royal Mail rival UK Mail has reported a rise in its revenues for the last three months of 2009, reporting a rise 4% year-on-year in the revenues for the period between October to December.

Revenues had started to fetch momentum from discretionary mail - or junk mail - after it took "a major hit".

Even its parcel service did benefit from the upheaval as people who would have used the postal system to deliver packages turned to specialist delivery firms.

The firm, which possesses large-scale postal clients customers such as banks and utility firms, revealed it had fetched advantage from the rising marketing mailing that had fallen off in the troubling waters of recession.

A spokesman for the firm revealed that although it did not grabbed a large proportion of UK Mail's business, yet the improvement was a welcome trend.

However, strike action by Royal Mail workers during that period had a mixed impact on business, UK Mail's chief executive Guy Buswell said.

Its parcel business was back on track of revenues growth in the quarter - the first year-on-year improvement for the division for over a year. However, volume growth was partly hampered by unceasing pricing pressure.

Profits for the year are now expected to be ahead of previous expectations, UK Mail said.