Post boxes around the country received a glittering makeover during the last Olympics... but one person in Chorlton has got a bit carried away in bid to mark this year’s Rio triumph.
Red post box in south Manchester has been made over with silver spray paint Credit: MEN Syndication
This red post box in the heart of the south Manchester suburb has been made over with silver spray paint but, unfortunately, whoever did it didn’t have enough paint to finish the job.
Sarah Wilde, a teacher from Chorlton, was walking along Oswald Road when she noticed the botched makeover.
Sarah said: “At first we thought it had been officially done but as I got closer realised it was a real botched job. “And whoever had done it had run out of paint as the top hadn’t even been touched. “But there was a load of paint all over the pavement. I think it’s someone who hasn’t got anything better to do over the summer.”
Royal Mail turned a total of 110 post boxes around the country gold in the hometowns of winning athletes following the London 2012 Games.
Royal Mail states on its website that post boxes should only be red and black but adds:
“An exception is to be made in regard to post boxes officially painted gold during the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.
“Many of these have become tourist attractions in their own right. In recognition of the positive public reaction to the gold post box initiative, these will be kept gold permanently.
"Royal Mail has decided to give gold post boxes a plaque, noting the achievement of the athlete commemorated.”
– ROYAL MAIL
But post office chiefs say anyone caught defacing a post box will be prosecuted.
“Flyposting and graffiti should be removed as soon as possible. “Royal Mail will prosecute any person apprehended defacing, vandalising or otherwise damaging post boxes.”
However, bosses have refused to repeat the gesture this year and say the London home game celebration was a ‘one-off’.