Postbox ignored by postmen for 23 years

[Stormproof]

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/odd/news/a4 ... ation.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A postbox has been discovered full of letters dating back to 1989.

Builders working at Birmingham New Street Station found the letters inside the postbox when they removed it last week.

Strangely, the box could easily be seen in front of thousands of visitors to the station for over two decades, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Royal Mail is now attempting to deliver the letters to their planned destinations, but have been unable to explain why the post had been ignored.

The box had been sealed earlier this year after travellers had complained that their fingers kept getting caught in its small flap. An 'out of action' sign was later stuck on it.

A postal worker said: "We didn't know it was there, to be honest. It was unbelievable to find the thing stuffed with old letters."

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "For security reasons many mailboxes have been removed from stations but presumably it seems that the post in this one was simply missed.

"There were letters that were meant for Australia and America and postcards to people's friends and family in there, just lying under a thick layer of dust."

A railway spokesman added: "We couldn't believe it would be missed by anyone. But with the greatest will in the world we're not in the mail delivery business."

Finally, a spokesperson for Royal Mail said of the postbox: "We would not seal the box with letters still in it.

"We believe customers continued to post letters, oblivious to the fact it was not being emptied."

A similar incident occurred in Poland in 2009, when a postbox had been discovered unemptied for five years.

[Red Robbo]

I think its the wrong header "Postbox ignored by postmen for 23 years" it should read ignored by Royal Mail for 23 years like they have ignored the postmen & women who work for them.

[Lounge Lizard]

I think its the wrong header "Postbox ignored by postmen for 23 years" it should read ignored by Royal Mail for 23 years like they have ignored the postmen & women who work for them.

But that's what we've come to expect from the Torygraph and the photograph looks like any postbox anywhere not the one in question on New Street station

[Stormproof]

I could'nt find a picture of the post box in any of the articles I read. The DM even had pictures of the opened letters!

[fishtank]

I think the real story is likely to be this...

The box was taken out of service around 1989 due to security issues like most train station boxes at the time.
It was sealed in 1989 but not emptied immediately before sealing.
At some point last year the seal was broken/vandalised,people started popping the mail back in until Royal Mail replaced the seal but didn't check the box for mail.
The box wasn't ignored for 23 years it was taken out of service for 23 years..If the box had been left open for 23 years and ignored i think it may have needed a collection or two.