Residents step up their missing postbox fight

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THEY weren't happy when their postbox was taken away after a century – and now Tuffley residents are taking the matter into their own hands.

Armed with pedometers, neighbours on Fox Elms Road have teamed up to prove just how difficult it is to get to the nearest postbox after their street's box was taken away by Royal Mail before Christmas.

Lifelong resident Lorraine Campbell, 50, has enlisted the help of pals to work out the distance and gradient of steep Forest View Road, which they now have to use instead.

They fear their elderly neighbours will struggle to use the postbox.

Mother-of-one Mrs Campbell said: "When the Royal Mail refused to replace the postbox, we just thought 'we are not going to give up with this'. They had their chance to do the right thing and apologise – but there wasn't even a hint of an apology from them.

"Now we are going to show just how far you have to go."

They hope to compile information which will prove just why they need their postbox reinstated.

A resident asked for it to be relocated from his property after he took over the former post office on the street and turned it into a house.

But the Royal Mail took it away completely.

Royal Mail spokesman Adrian Booth told residents: "The area is well-served by postboxes.

"As the box regularly contained only a handful of letters a week, we have no current plans to replace it."

But Mrs Campbell says when she first complained on December 13 about the postbox's mystery disappearance, she was told that it would be coming back because it was well used.

"We have received a lot of mixed messages from the Royal Mail – but our message is clear. We want the postbox back and won't rest until we get our way," added Mrs Campbell.

The residents have invited Royal Mail bosses to try the walk to the nearest postbox for themselves.

Mr Booth said yesterday that the Royal Mail would respond to the residents' campaign once they have been provided with the distances that the pedometer records.