RESIDENTS have been reunited with missing letters THIRTEEN years after they were sent – when cops discovered the stolen post.
Birthday cards for toddlers who turned teenagers this year were among the stacks of mail delivered to surprised residents today alongside an apology letter from Royal Mail.
Locals were shocked after letters and parcels started showing up to their homes dated 2008.
It is thought that the ex-Royal Mail employee responsible for the theft was arrested around 2008, but police have only just started to return some of the thousands of items taken.
Residents of Oxford were stunned when the post arrived with a severe delay, with one calling the apology from Royal Mail “generic.”
Peter Norman, 41, of Catmore Drive told The Sun: “I received a letter with some photographs from a 60th birthday party, with myself, my other half and my niece when she was about two months old – she just turned 13 in April.
“I was quite surprised because we don’t have many photos from that time of myself and my other half so it was quite good to see some.
"Surprised that it took that long to get here but lots of people are talking about it.”
Alongside the back dated post, a Royal Mail apology letter was sent, which said: “I’m writing to apologise for the significant delay caused to the attached mail, which has recently been recovered from the home of an ex-employee.
“I’d 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.
“We take this delay very seriously. I am very sorry we’ve let you down on this occasion and I hope you’ll accept my apologies for any concerns this incident may cause.”
Landlady Emma Davidson living on Woodhill Drive was surprised to open a Father’s Day card from 2008.
The 42-year-old mother said: “I did get some mail, there was a Father’s Day card in there for my son from his dad but most of the old post was for my husband.
“The Father’s Day card was because we were away visiting family and my husband was back at home so he sent it to us while we were away but obviously we didn’t get that but we didn’t know that because he never said.
“My son is now 16 so he would have been about three at the time, it is a bit of a keepsake now I guess.
“At least they gave it back to us at the end of the day. We don’t normally get problems with them they’re always on time and it’s all been fine really."
Residents were sharing there post stories today on the local Wantage and Grove Facebook page, with one quipping “Second Class mail will get there eventually.”
Another said: “I got a letter today dated 2008 from my son’s school saying he will be in detention. He’s 28 now!”
Retired Lilian Morris received letters for her daughter who used to live in her home on Albermarle Drive, but hadn’t realised the letters dated back so far.
The 79-year-old said: “I did receive a bundle addressed to my daughter. It was in a plastic bag which also enclosed apologies. My daughter had two letters, one was a bank statement.
“I never really looked at the date, I glanced at it but my daughter had her own name on the post. However she’s been married for 10 years. My daughter does not live here anymore as she’s married, I took the letters to her."
However, many residents were stuck with bundles of post belonging to the previous home owners as the letters dated back 13 years.
James Preston, 41, said: “We did actually receive post from 2008, but it wasn’t our post.
"We have three letters for the previous owners but we knew why because we saw the letter from Royal Mail in the clear bag. All it said was that it was found at an ex-employee’s home.
“I’ve got it try and get it to them but we moved here nine years ago and they could have moved several times since then. Receiving the old post was really out of the blue and rather strange.”
The Sun has contacted Royal Mail for a comment.
Source: Read Full Article
