Aus Post: Unanderra couple flooded with letters from Britain

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Hundreds of letters posted from Britain to people across Australia have been mistakenly given to a Unanderra couple, prompting an investigation by Australia Post.

Lindsay Smith and Janice Jenkin-Smith yesterday collected mail from the post office box at Unanderra for the volunteer organisation they run, the Southern Oceans Seabird Study Association.

Informed they had a large parcel to pick up, the couple was handed a large bag with Royal Mail Great Britain imprinted on the side.

Once they took it home, they discovered hundreds of letters inside addressed to people in places including Sydney, Darwin and Perth.

Many of the letters appeared to be from a medical education facility in London.

Mr Smith had visited the post office to chase up a parcel he had sent that was late arriving in Queensland.

He said it appeared the address tag from a parcel posted to the seabird association had been detached and reattached to the Royal Mail bag.

"It's bizarre, I haven't seen anything like it," he said.

"It all looks to be quite important stuff too."

The couple returned the unopened mail yesterday afternoon.

"I think the senders and recipients are lucky all the mail came to honest people," Mrs Jenkin-Smith said.

"I just wonder whether it would have got to them otherwise."

Australia Post spokesman Scott McIntyre last night apologised for the mail error.

"Unfortunately it appears the mail has been mis-sorted into the customer's PO box," he said.

"Australia Post is investigating how this has occurred and apologises for any inconvenience caused to the customer."