I’ve heard a very sad tale today.

Surrey Docks city farm has been broken into numerous times pushing it close to the edge of closing. No one could work out how they were getting in as high walls. It transpires that one of the those Royal Mail drop boxes – you know the grey ones where they leave more letters for posties to collect and deliver – was being used as a stepping stone to get in. In fact it looks like it had been used for this purpose for years.

The farm manager Barry Mason had repeatedly asked Royal Mail to move it. Numerous emails, phone calls, visits to Mandela Way Royal Mail sorting office. He finally gets letter from Royal Mail HQ saying moving it was down to Southwark Council. How bizarre. When had these boxes become the councils responsibility. Eitherway both Southwark Council and Police  agreed it had to be moved.

So Barry finally snapped and told the Royal Mail he was going to move it and where to collect it from and that he would only do this once he was sure it contained no mail. So Royal Mail had one final opportunity to move it themselves. All very reasonable considering Royal Mail had unwittingly been an accessory to numerous criminal acts.

Needless to say Royal Mail didn’t move it. After he removed it he contacted Southwark Council who that same day fixed the gaping hole. Well done Southwark Council Officers.

Royal Mail then truculently complain to Police saying mail box had been stolen and mail had been stolen. Actually in the circumstance that’s rather vicious. So Police arrest poor Barry and hold him for 6 hours until they realised how ridiculous this was and released him with a caution.

Barry now has a criminal record.

Moral of this story. If you act responsibly with Royal Mail don’t expect the same back. If you have one of these grey Royal Mail drop boxes against one of your walls ensure it can’t be used to burgle you or worse.