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A number of Royal Mail postboxes in a rural town have been sealed up over “security fears” after a postman is believed to have lost the keys to open them.
The 10 boxes on Canvey Island, in Essex, have been taken out of use following concerns that the original keys could be used to gain access to public mail.
A spokeswoman for Royal Mail said new keys were “on order” and apologised for any inconvenience caused while the firm awaits replacements.
But local Councillors have urged that “precautions” be taken to ensure that only those with authorisation can enter the postboxes in the meantime.
David Thomas, a Castle Point Councillor and a Royal Mail employee, told The Echo: “Yes, I can confirm a set of keys have gone missing. All post boxes were cleared of mail using a spare set of keys and then all affected boxes were sealed up as a security measure.”
“As the original keys went missing the boxes cannot be used because someone in the public domain may have these keys and could gain access to people’s mail. As security of the mail is paramount, this precaution needs to be taken to prevent anyone, not authorised, gaining access to anyone else’s mail,” he added.
