Revealed: the number of postal workers caught stealing

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Almost a dozen postal workers have been caught stealing mail in Norfolk in the past two years, while Royal Mail bosses have paid out nearly £190,000 because of a catalogue of complaints from tens of thousands of unhappy customers, new figures have revealed.

A Freedom Of Information request revealed how, in the financial years 2007/8 and 2008/9, 11 postal workers were caught stealing mail in the NR postcode area, which covers the county.

And during that period, Royal Mail bosses received more than 24,400 complaints and paid out in more than 11,300 instances - a total of around £187,000.

Of the tally of shame, eight of the postal workers caught stealing were prosecuted, two were cautions and one resigned to avoid being sacked.

A spokesman for Royal Mail said: "Royal Mail has a zero tolerance approach to any dishonesty and anyone found to be guilty of theft can expect to be dismissed.

"Royal Mail constantly reviews security to ensure the continuing integrity of the mail operation. The overwhelming majority of all letters posted arrive safely at the correct destination but we remain vigilant to any risk to the operation, including any threat from criminals outside Royal Mail who target postmen and women to steal the mail they are carrying.

"Royal Mail Group directly employs over 170,000 people in the UK and it remains the case that the huge majority of our people are scrupulously honest and take huge care over the mail entrusted to them by our customers."

The figures do not show how much was paid out as compensation for thefts, but by far the greatest number of complaints over the two years was for loss of post, although the number did drop in 2008/9 compared to the previous year.

In 2007/8, 5,561 people in Norfolk complained about lost post and 3,996 people shared compensation of £52,496, while in 2008/9, £77,469 was paid out among 3,462 of the people who lost mail and complained.

Last year saw £4,589 paid out to 461 customers whose deliveries were delayed, while the previous year £6,555 was paid out among 988 people.

Complaints about damage led to £6,964 being paid to 379 customers, down on the £9,777 paid to the 375 people who complained about that the previous year.

The Royal Mail spokesman said: "Royal Mail processes and delivers around 72 million items to more than 28 million addresses every working day and the level of complaints in 2008/09 equated to about one for every 14,500 letters we handle. Overall complaints have fallen by around

8pc since the previous financial year.

"It is also important to note that complaints are recorded according to the addressee of each mail item, however this does not necessarily mean that a problem or fault occurred within that particular postcode area. The figures should not therefore be viewed as a precise indicator of local performance in the NR postcode area."

One person who was caught was Patricia Barnes, a Royal Mail worker who stole more than £75,000 from special delivery post handled at the Norwich sorting office.

In February last year, a court heard how a gambling addiction to online bingo and slot machines was the reason for the 39-year-old's thefts, which led to an end of a career with Royal Mail stretching back 14 years. Barnes, of Newbegin Road, Norwich, admitted the theft and was jailed for a year.