Typo sparks bomb panic before relieved Suffolk granny receives long-awaited Amazon broom.
A Suffolk pensioner spent 24 hours preparing for what she believed was an imminent explosion after a Royal Mail notification card appeared to warn that a bomb had been discovered inside her parcel.
Marjorie Chapps, 72, of rural Suffolk, said her ordeal began when she found a delivery slip pushed through her letterbox informing her that “a bomb was found in your package. We have called the bomb squad and it will be diffused shorty.”
Convinced her home had become the centre of a major anti-terror operation, the increasingly bewildered grandmother retrieved a stainless steel colander from a kitchen cupboard, placed it firmly on her head “for protection,” armed herself with a metal spatula, and crawled beneath the bedroom dresser to await developments.
Residents reported an unusual lack of movement from the property throughout the day but assumed Mrs Chapps was simply enjoying a quiet afternoon indoors. The mystery was finally resolved the following afternoon when a Royal Mail postman knocked on the front door carrying a long brown-paper parcel.
After several minutes of reassurance, Mrs Chapps cautiously emerged from beneath the furniture, still clutching the spatula. The embarrassed postal worker apologised, explaining that the delivery notification contained an unfortunate typing error. The message, he said, should have read: “We have found a broom in your package.”
With the misunderstanding cleared up, he handed over the parcel containing the brand-new broom Mrs Chapps had ordered from Amazon earlier that week.Neighbours say the relieved grandmother has since resumed normal life, although she is reportedly keeping the colander within easy reach “just in case.”
Royal Mail has declined to comment on whether future delivery notifications will undergo additional spell-checking before being posted through customers’ letterboxes.