St Helens postman had failed to deliver 15,000 items of mail

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UP to 15,000 of items of mail that were withheld from delivery by a postman are being sent out to customers with a letter of apology.

The Star revealed in November how the postman – whose name has not been released – resigned after a raid on his St Helens home uncovered a huge stash of mail.

Now the vast amount that was actually recovered has been confirmed.

Royal Mail says it is in the process of sending out the withheld mail to St Helens addresses. It is believed that much of it was destined for Rainford.

It is a criminal offence to tamper with or delay the delivery of mail.

However, it is understood the investigation has yet to lead to the start of criminal proceedings against the postman allegedly involved.

One customer from Moss Bank, who recently received a covering letter from Royal Mail along with two financial documents that dated back to the summer, told the Star: “I’m angry by what happened and I’m keen to find out what the next stages of the Royal Mail’s investigation will be.

“One item was a credit card statement and the other pension information. It makes you lose faith in the Royal Mail and wonder if anything else has gone missing. It is a service we should be able to place our trust in.”

Royal Mail spokesperson Val Bodden said: “We can confirm that around 15,000 items have been recovered following our internal investigations.

“The items are being re-delivered with an apology to affected customers. We apologise to any customer whose mail has been affected by this incident.

“Royal Mail has a zero tolerance approach to any dishonesty and that stance is shared by the overwhelming majority of postmen and women, who are honest and hardworking and who do all they can to protect the mail and deliver it safely.”

The Royal Mail added it will “always seek to prosecute the tiny minority of people who abuse their position of trust”.