Entire town gets post 13 years late after it's found at dead Royal Mail worker's home

A town's residents have been receiving a deluge of mail 13 years late after the post was recovered from a former Royal Mail employee's home following their death.

Letters and parcels, some dating as far back as 2008, have started arriving through people’s letter boxes in Wantage, Oxfordshire.

Royal Mail said the mail had been recovered from the home of a former employee after they died.

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People across Wantage and the neighbouring village of Grove reported receiving mail in the past few weeks that was originally sent years ago.

The mail included bills, cervical screening and tax reminders, birthday cards with cash inside, as well as video games, DVDs and catalogues.

One woman said she received a cheque for £151, while another woman, whose mother passed away several years ago, received a handmade wedding anniversary card from her.

In a letter to one of the residents who waited years for their items, Paul Leishman, Royal Mail operations manager for Thames Valley Oxford, apologised for the “significant” delay and said the post was recovered from the home of a former employee.

"I would like to offer my sincere apologies for any inconvenience or distress you may experience as a result of receiving this mail after such a long time,” he wrote.

"I am very sorry we have let you down on this occasion and I hope you will accept my apologies for any concerns this incident may cause."

Leishman said Royal Mail had taken the delay “very seriously”.

Hundreds of residents posted on social media to say they had received post that was sent years previously.

One said: "Well, l had a lovely delivery. My mum passed away two years ago and this year is my 25th wedding anniversary and I received a handmade by my mum wedding anniversary card."

Another said: "Got an old credit card statement. Thank goodness it’s been paid."

A Royal Mail spokeswoman told Yahoo News UK: “In this isolated incident, a number of mail items were found at the home of a former employee following their death. We are looking into what may have happened in this case.

"The safety and security of the mail is of the utmost importance to Royal Mail. Every item of mail is important to us.

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“The vast majority of our postmen and postwomen are dedicated to delivering the UK’s mail safely and efficiently.

“They have played a crucial role in keeping the UK connected during the pandemic.

“The mail is being delivered to customers as quickly as possible with a covering note and a number to call if they require more information. We apologise to any customer whose mail may have been impacted by this incident."