Exhausted postie hid thousands of letters

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/4 ... f_letters/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A POSTWOMAN left exhausted by her round hid more than 51,000 items of junk mail, together with undelivered parcels, a court heard.

Some of the packages found inside Margaret Malcolm’s “dilapidated” home had been posted more than 13 years ago.

A member of the public alerted the Royal Mail on October 31, last year, after he found more than 800 undelivered packages near All Saints’ Church, in Shildon, County Durham.

Investigators later found 325 letters in an alley behind Malcolm’s house in Bouch Street.

In her home, they discovered 51,498 junk mail letters and 110 undelivered packages – some dating from 1995.

Malcolm, 57, who had been a postwoman for more than 30 years, resigned the same day.

Yesterday, she appeared before magistrates in Bishop Auckland to admit three counts of delaying mail.

Jane Scott, in mitigation, said Malcolm was struggling to cope, caring for a brother with learning difficulties and getting up at 4am for her round.

She said the five-hour task was draining, and that Malcolm faced a three-mile walk back to the depot in Bishop Auckland after each shift.

She said: “This is a lady for who life has not been particularly easy and who was embarrassed that she could not manage.

“She would be absolutely shattered half-way through her shift.”

Miss Scott said that Malcolm endeavoured to deliver all addressed mail, but dumped some marketing mail and packages that had not been signed for.

She said: “She accepts that her behaviour was against the rules, but Shildon to Bishop Auckland is a long way to lug big bags of post.”

Philip Robson, prosecuting, said: “It is quite a sad tale because this lady worked for Royal Mail for 30 years, but this is a breach of trust.”

Mr Robson requested that Malcolm pay £1,850 costs.

Magistrates’ chairwoman Pauline Parkins adjourned the case for reports, but said the charges were extremely serious and that magistrates were considering jail.

Malcolm was bailed until Friday, March 13, when she will be sentenced.

[not me]

she was exhausted 13 years ago?

[dvbuk55]

That was 1700 items a year for the 30 years she worked for RM - what is incredible is ithat it went on for so long - they said 13 years but 95 to 09 is 14 years so it was practically half her service!

[DGP1]

She said the five-hour task was draining, and that Malcolm faced a three-mile walk back to the depot in Bishop Auckland after each shift.

5 hour delivery on foot I'm a bit younger but I doubt that I could manage that for more than a few days

[dvbuk55]

A three mile walk back? - wot no buses, no cycles - a five hour delivery is outside the scope of the agreement and so should have been spotted by H&S and the Rep - although is this another case of a small office running itself as it sees fit with regard to agreements. I would advocate the closure of all smalll units and bring them in line with the rest of us mortals.