Cumbria's police and crime commissioner Peter McCall
THE county's police and crime commissioner has apologised to residents who were left to foot the postage bill for unstamped letters distributed during his election campaign.
Peter McCall said an investigation was being launched after people in Barrow reported having to pay £2 to open a survey which was sent out while he was still a Conservative candidate in May's election.
The fee has only just come to light after notes from the Post Office were put through peoples' doors telling them they had a letter to claim and a postage charge to pay.
The letter, which is undated, asks the recipient to complete a seven question survey on the reverse of the page, ranking their crime priorities and then using a freepost envelope addressed to Cumbria Conservatives, 31 Chiswick Street, Carlisle, CA1 1HJ.
It's believed the letters were sent to houses in the Roose and Holbeck area.
One of the residents who got a note and then paid the fee said: "I had to pay £2 for the benefit of it. It is a £1 holding charge and postage that had to be paid.
"The letter only says 'I'm the Conservative candidate and I want to hear your views'.
"The woman in the Post Office said there were lots of the same letters but none of them had got postage.
"I have spoken to two people who live in the Roose area and they said they had paid £2 and picked up the same letter."
Mr McCall said his office was looking to establish how the error was made but suggested the letters were supposed to have been distributed by hand by volunteers and not put in the post.
He said: "I'm really sorry to anybody who has been inconvenienced by it.
"I can't explain it. All I can say to those who have received it is I understand how irritating it must be to complete an out of date survey.
"I'm finding out what has happened so it doesn't happen again.
"I offer my very sincere apologies."
Mr McCall was elected as Cumbria's new police and crime commissioner in May, taking over from Richard Rhodes. The role involves scrutinising the police force, appointing and firing the chief constable and coming up with a local crime plan.
Post Office policy
According to the Royal Mail website, there is a £1 handling fee for letters and parcels where insufficient postage or no stamps have been attached, plus the remaining postage due for the particular item posted.
Since October 5 2015, there has been a flat fee only of £1.50 for a letter or large letter where insufficient postage has been paid. Where no postage has been paid, the fee is £2.