Fallen postbox delivers misery for shoppers

City centre shoppers say they are frustrated after a postbox, understood to have been knocked over by a delivery vehicle, is still awaiting removal after three months.

Royal Mail said it was waiting for a crane to install a new postbox to replace the one on Market Square in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.

"We appreciate this has taken longer than we would have liked, but it'll be resolved as soon as possible", a Royal Mail spokesperson said.

"To leave it like that for months is disgusting", said Lynn Churn, who regularly shops on the high street.

She added: "They are not making it any better for people outside of Hanley to want to come.

"You don't want to keep going up to the fifth floor of the Potteries Shopping Centre when there's supposed to be a postbox there."

Another unhappy shopper, Keith Levay, described the situation as "typical Stoke, typical Hanley, it's [the town has] gone down".

"People will have to go into the shopping centre to post their post, and if you are elderly like me its awkward and there's no other postboxes."

Russel Cartwright was also shopping in the town. He said: "It's should just be straight back up again, it's not a big job to sort out is it.

"There's plenty of workers, I work silly hours so everyone else can, it should've been done straight away."

In a statement, Staffordshire police said a van had hit the postbox at about 03:40 BST on 26 May and the driver had reported it to the local council.

A Stoke-on-Trent City Council spokesperson said the postbox was owned by Royal Mail.

"We understand concerns about its condition and have raised the issue several times with the local sorting office," they added.

Stoke-on-Trent City Centre Business Improvement District is also believed to be involved and has also been approached for comment.

No date has yet been given by Royal Mail for when the repair will take place.

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