
RESIDENTS have shared frustration towards Royal Mail over a post box that has been used as a rubbish bin.
The Royal Mail post box on Barbourne Road in Worcester has been wrapped up in a black bag since November 2025 while the UK delivery service replaces it.
But the post box is now regularly used as a rubbish bin as residents wait for their new replacement.
Councillor Neil Laurenson said he is concerned and frustrated by Royal Mail’s failure to reinstate the post box, which has been left unusable for months.
The post box, opposite Gheluvelt Park in the St Stephen ward, still has a black wrapping to protect it, but this has been partly torn away in recent months.
People walking by have been placing rubbish in the unused post box, which he says is creating an eyesore and a potential health hazard.
Cllr Laurenson said: "I am still waiting for a response from Royal Mail.
"It is unsightly and annoying for local residents not to have a functioning local post box.
"The ‘bin’ is a dreadful sight."
Why are post boxes in Worcester wrapped in black bags?
Several red post boxes across the city have been wrapped up in black bags by Royal Mail.
Many post boxes have been covered in black bin bags while Royal Mail look to roll out 3,500 solar-powered "post boxes of the future" across the UK.
The boxes will feature a digitally activated drop-down drawer that allows customers to send parcels as large as a shoebox.
The redesigned boxes also feature a separate slot for letters and a solar panel to power the scanner and drawer mechanism.
Proof of posting and parcel tracking is available through the Royal Mail app, with the new service aimed at those sending or returning items purchased online.
Worcester News has contacted Royal Mail for comment.