Pilgrims Hatch post suspended after scooter gang attack postman's van with hammer

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The postal service has been suspended in Pilgrims Hatch after a gang of boys on scooters attacked a postman's van with a hammer.

The worker, who chose not to be named, was driving on Hatch Road at around 1.50pm yesterday (February 20) when a boy smashed his van's driver door three times and the back once, while another boy tried to pull off the wing mirror.

Danny Attfield, workers' representative at the post office on St Thomas Road in Brentwood, branded the attack "unacceptable" and revealed the driver could "hardly speak" afterwards.

He added that he is hopeful normal service will resume tomorrow (February 22).

Mr Attfield said: "There were four youths, three on scooters, doing wheelies. The postman beeped his horn for them to get out of the way.

"He pulled up to the junction with Doddinghurst Road. Then one of the boys started hammering the van.

"He drove away and came back to the office, but he was exceptionally shaken.

The incident happened at the junction between Hatch Road and Doddinghurst Road

"We are trying to do our jobs and we don't expect people to chase after us with hammers. We apologise to residents for the suspension but we have to make sure our postmen are safe.

"We have had minor incidents before, nothing on this scale. They sometimes shout at you or block the pathway, but we have never had to take action like this before."

A witness to the incident told the post office the registration number of the scooter ridden by the boy with the hammer, which has been passed on to police.

"There are four big hammer marks to the van, which will probably have to have a new front and back door, costing hundreds," Mr Attfield said.

"We decided in a post office meeting to suspended delivery in Pilgrims Hatch while we do a risk assessment.

"I will be going out with managers later this afternoon to have a recon of the area.

"Hopefully we can get it back tomorrow, with contingencies in place. We are going to have to put postmen in pairs on that estate."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Essex Police on 101.