Call made for a new post box after theft

FILCHING letters from a post box is one thing.

But thieves have taken things to a new level by taking the complete box from Tenbury.

The post box and its contents were taken from a post in a rural area on the outskirts of the town.

Now to rub salt into the wounds, the Royal Mail is refusing to replace the box in Berrington.

But Malvern Hills district councillor Tony Penn and Member of Parliament Harriett Baldwin have posted their intention to fight the decision.

Mrs Baldwin has called on Royal Mail to think again after refusing to replace a post box which was stolen in Tenbury.

The MP was contacted by Malvern Hills district councillor Tony Penn, who raised the issue of a missing post box on Berrington Road in Tenbury.

Councillor Penn has asked the MP to intervene and she has called on the company to re-think a decision not to replace the box.

“I’ve written to Royal Mail asking them to re-think the decision and be a bit more responsive to the needs of Tenbury people,” Mrs Baldwin said.

“In recent months, I have been concerned at the way Royal Mail has reacted to the closure of the Tenbury Post Office meaning that many people are having to make unnecessary car journeys to collect parcels.

“Added to this is the issue of Tenbury people having to make extra car journeys to post their mail because of this missing post box and this all adds up.

“At a time when we are trying to be more environmentally aware, I would hope Royal Mail could do their bit and behave more responsibly.

“I’ve made these points in a letter to the company’s chief executive and I hope that he will respond positively.”

Earlier this year the town lost its post office when Bowketts closed.

This happened at the beginning of May although a temporary mobile post office now visits the town every Tuesday afternoon by the Scout Hut.

It is unlikely that the new post office that will be in the Spa in Teme Street will open before November, but is should be open before Christmas.

It is estimated that there are in the order of 100,000 red Royal Mail post boxes in the United Kingdom and it is claimed that the first post box appeared in the Channel Islands in 1852 and came to the mainland UK a year later when a box was installed in Sherbourne in Dorset. Approximately half of boxes are emptied at least once a day.

Post boxes were painted their familiar red colour in the 1860s and 70s.