Britain's philatelists are threatening to bite the hand that feeds them warning the Post Office that they would close their albums forever from December 31st, 1999, if it continued to issue an excess of sub-standard stamps.

The threat came as the Post Office prepared to release 48 new millennium stamps this year, a collection that leading stamp collectors claim puts quantity before quality. Mr Peter Jennings, a fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society, said that the glut of stamps had caused many collectors to question the worth of continuing the hobby, and that some had decided the end of the 20th century was an opportune time to lay down their eyeglasses. Between 1840 and 1900 the Royal Mail issued 214 different stamps but now produces more than that number every three years.

"To safeguard the hobby of philately the Royal Mail needs to listen carefully to the views of stamp collectors and issue fewer new stamps," he said.