Post boxes sealed as keys missing

The Royal Mail says it is working to reopen the post boxes

Post boxes in a suburb have been sealed after a postman's keys are understood to have gone missing.

Pieces of wood were used to block 18 letter slots on the post boxes in the Roath and Splott areas of Cardiff.

Royal Mail apologised and asked customers to use post offices.

"We have re-opened several of the post boxes, but we are currently experiencing problems with obtaining replacement parts," said a spokesman.

It is believed that the boxes were sealed after keys to open them were either lost or stolen.

However, Royal Mail described it as "a security incident".

It's a real pain in the neck, to be honest Resident David Pockett

David Pockett, who lives near one of the sealed-up post boxes, said they had been blocked up for around four weeks.

"About four weeks ago I went to the post box to post some letters and I noticed it was blocked," he said.

"When I came back home, my wife phoned up the post office and they said they would sort it out.

"Then a week later nothing at all had been done, so we telephoned them again - and again a week ago, where someone told us that a postman had lost the keys and they were trying to get the locks changed.

"They keep telling us they are going to do something but they haven't, and it's a real pain in the neck, to be honest," he added.

'Highest inconvenience'

Local councillor Rodney Berman said he had received a number of complaints and had written to Royal Mail, particularly as Christmas approaches.

"My concern is particularly for elderly people who may struggle along to their nearest post box, only to find it out of action and then try to get to the next post box and find that one too is out of action," he said.

"At this time of year we have the highest volume of mail and so it is really the highest level of inconvenience," he added.

The Royal Mail said it was working on getting the post boxes reopened.

"We would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused as a result of an operational decision to seal several post boxes in the Roath/Splott area, following a security incident which occurred a few weeks ago," said a Royal Mail spokesman.

"We can, however, assure customers that posting facilities will be restored as soon as possible.

"In the meantime we would ask customers to use alternative posting facilities, including handing mail in at local post office branches," he added.