Riddle of the missing mail...

[slave]

http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news- ... ssing-mail

FEARS are mounting for the safe delivery of Christmas parcels in Oldham after a growing number of complaints over missing mail.

This week the Chronicle has learned that a Royal Mail worker is being investigated after letters were found dumped in Hollinwood.

Ian Thompson, of Montgomery Avenue, was shocked when he discovered the nine letters — some belonging to his neighbour and some for near-by streets, in a waste bin.

He was alerted by a neighbour who had spotted the post while out walking his dog.

Ian said: “I contacted Royal Mail but they didn’t seem particularly surprised. That mail could have been very important.

“Two officers came round and apologised profusely and they told me that they would be setting up an investigation.”

Another investigation into missing mail in postcodes OL2, OL8 and OL9 is still ongoing after a postman was found with over 10,000 opened and unopened letters and parcels at his home.

Affected residents have demanded to know why police are not involved, as they say it is theft.

Royal Mail says it has its own powers of prosecution, but refused to reveal further information.

Richard Jeffreys, from Royton, has only just received a package franked September 12, which was a £37 electrical item he ordered from eBay.

He has complained to Royal Mail and informed the police as he believed it was a theft matter.

“My item was an alarm speech dialler — I need it for my burglar alarm — but most people wouldn’t even know what one was,” he said.

“Where it has been for the last six weeks, I shudder to think.

“We received another letter for an optician’s appointment — but we missed it because it came two weeks late.”

He went on to say that a friend of his living locally, had ordered three DVDs which had never arrived, and he knew of birthday cards containing cash that were never delivered.

A resident from Holden Fold Lane, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I haven’t received any mail for weeks except odd bills, but recently received some mail dated from August — but I am still missing some Christmas presents I bought to send abroad.

“I usually do all of my Christmas shopping online, but I doubt whether they will ever get to me in time — if at all, the way things are going on around here. It’s disgusting.”

Last week, Andrew Burke (46) of Main Street, Failsworth — who had worked for 26 years for Royal Mail — was caught out stealing £500 he took from greetings cards and packages. His stealing spree ended when test mail was put in pillar boxes emptied by him.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “Royal Mail has recently received a small number of items of mail which have been recovered by a customer in Hollinwood.

“We are investigating and will also be redelivering these items as soon as possible.

“We would urge anyone with questions regarding their mail deliveries to contact Royal Mail Customer Services on 08457 740 740 who will be able to investigate fully.”

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Sting trapped postman from Failsworth who stole cash from letters

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A thieving postman who ripped open letters and parcels to steal cash has walked free from court with a suspended jail sentence.

Father-of-two Andrew Burke, 46, had an unblemished, 26-year career with the Royal Mail. But a court heard that he resigned in disgrace last July when his thieving emerged following a covert sting investigation involving dummy letters posted by delivery depot bosses.

Burke, of Main Street in Failsworth, near Oldham, was found to have swiped hundreds of pounds in cash, gift cards and vouchers over a six-month period. He pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and two counts of attempted theft and was jailed for 12 months, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service.

Burke worked as a postman at the Royal Mail’s depot in Blackley. Nigel Booth, prosecuting at Manchester Crown Court, said bosses were alerted after letters and parcels were found torn open at the corners on arrival at the depot ahead of delivery to addresses between January and May last year. The collection routes involved narrowed the investigation down to two possible postmen.

Four dummy parcels containing cash were put into a post box outside the Post Office on Victoria Avenue in Blackley, where Burke, who has no previous convictions, was based. A further seven specially-prepared letters containing greetings cards and cash were also introduced into his mail collection round.

The mail Burke dealt with was then isolated at the depot on Factory Lane.

Three of the seven letters were missing and 19 others were ripped, the court heard. Mr Booth said the operation was repeated before Burke’s van was searched. A total of 17 open greetings cards were found. Burke and his home and car were searched. Mr Booth said £105 cash was found in his pockets and more than 40 letters discovered in total. A total of 15 gift card vouchers and a further cash sum of £140 were then found. Mr Booth said: “He was interviewed and made admissions. He said that he had looked inside the greetings cards. “He did say that there had been money in some of the postal packets recovered from the searches. He admitted taking the gift cards and vouchers. “He said he had begun to steal about Christmas 2010 and that he had not disposed of any of the packets. The reason for stealing was because, he told investigators, he needed food. “He could not say what money he obtained in total because he spent it as he got it.”

David Temkin, defending, said an accident at work was the catalyst for Burke falling into debt. He said: “His remorse is ongoing and genuine.” Judge Martin Rudland told him: “You worked honestly for the Post Office until your life took a rapid downward turn. It is clear that from about 2005 onwards, you started to suffer from a number of pressures. You breached the trust that you had kept for more than 25 years.”

Read more at: http://menmedia.co.uk/oldhamadvertiser/ ... rs?rss=yes" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[fishtank]

Sting trapped postman from Failsworth who stole cash from letters

Well done Sting.

[clashcityrocker]

A message in a bottle was introduced into one of his collection rounds..........

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Fishtank

[TeeferTiger]

Sting trapped postman from Failsworth who stole cash from letters

Well done Sting.

[not me]

what happens ot the pension for these guys
26 years service
do they get it,get their payments back or what?

[RobertT]

what happens ot the pension for these guys
26 years service
do they get it,get their payments back or what?

As far as I know their pension will be deferred as if they were leaving in the normal way.

[not me]

what happens ot the pension for these guys
26 years service
do they get it,get their payments back or what?

As far as I know their pension will be deferred as if they were leaving in the normal way.

still with RM contributions?
If so its a disgrace

[TrueBlueTerrier]

what happens ot the pension for these guys
26 years service
do they get it,get their payments back or what?

As far as I know their pension will be deferred as if they were leaving in the normal way.

still with RM contributions?
If so its a disgrace

Its frozen at the point of their dismissal.

Whilst I am sympathetic to your view, I don't think RM or the Pension People can do anything. After all if you are in a Pension from another employer and get done for shop lifting and sent down, they sack you but they can't refuse to pay out the pension entitlement you have built up. It is after all seen as deferred wages.

[not me]

Im not talking about their monies,but the money RM put in
it should be a part of the pensin terms that this money is clawed back under some/all dismissal terms
even if it went into the charity pot,just dont think they should be rewarded with a (possible) decent pension after being a thief

[fishtank]

Im not talking about their monies,but the money RM put in
it should be a part of the pensin terms that this money is clawed back under some/all dismissal terms
even if it went into the charity pot,just dont think they should be rewarded with a (possible) decent pension after being a thief

The problem with that is it would be a retrospective punishment.
They may have had 20 years unblemished service before they became a thief.
That is what they are being "rewarded" for.
Not making a judgement...just pointing out that it would be difficult from a legal point of view.

[not me]

Im not talking about their monies,but the money RM put in
it should be a part of the pensin terms that this money is clawed back under some/all dismissal terms
even if it went into the charity pot,just dont think they should be rewarded with a (possible) decent pension after being a thief

The problem with that is it would be a retrospective punishment.
They may have had 20 years unblemished service before they became a thief.
That is what they are being "rewarded" for.
Not making a judgement...just pointing out that it would be difficult from a legal point of view.

I don't really care how good their service is/was
if they are a thief then it sullies all staff
new members coming in are unlikely to get the same chance at a pension or the result
they will however be the most likely to get the finger poiited at them
as far as Im concerned they should be risking their pension as well as their job when the steal

[fishtank]

Like i said custard i'm not making a judgement.
I would imagine if you wanted to do something like that you would have to inform potential members before they joined the scheme.

[not me]

Like i said custard i'm not making a judgement.
I would imagine if you wanted to do something like that you would have to inform potential members before they joined the scheme.

most likely,however they could have done that with the new scheme at least