Security precautions to protect posties delivering tickets

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http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/Securi ... 3934398.jp

Security fears have led mail managers to limit the numbers of Wembley match tickets being carried by individual postal workers.
The precaution is being taken only in certain areas where there is a known risk of attacks on postal staff, and there is also a greater use of vans for the deliveries in a bid to cut down the amount of time workers are walking around and vulnerable.

Security restrictions imposed by Ticketmaster already meant just 2,000 tickets a day are being dispatched by special delivery to anxious Pompey supporters.

Ticketmaster decided to drip-feed Royal Mail with small batches for special delivery each day to ensure the security of the tickets.

However despite the slow process Ticketmaster says the final batch of tickets was being released to Royal Mail today so that everyone should have received them by the end of tomorrow, or have received an attempted delivery notification and information of where to pick their tickets up from.

Ro
yal Mail has been busily delivering hundreds of envelopes every day over the past two weeks and says the slow release protects the safety of its postal workers.

Royal Mail spokesman Mike Dalton said: 'Only carrying a small number of tickets protects or postal workers, especially in areas where attacks have been known to happen historically.

'We're also making greater use of our vans for special deliveries at the moment to help protect workers and tickets.

'With our special delivery service we guarantee next day delivery and we get the tickets out as soon as Ticketmaster give them to us.'

With many people at work when the tickets were being delivered, and so unable to sign for them, Royal Mail managers were due to meet later today to consider extending its collection office opening hours on Thursday and Friday evening to give supporters more time to collect the prized tickets.

The full article contains 319 words and appears in NS-Havant & Waterlooville newspaper.
Last Updated: 01 April 2008 11:50 AM