Postman who dumped mail in skip spared jail

A young Staffordshire postman who dumped Christmas mail in a skip has been spared immediate custody.

More than 700 letters and packets were found in the recycling skip at Wildwood in Stafford by a council officer, who alerted the police, Stafford crown court heard.

Three days later, a further 67 packets were recovered from the same skip.

Royal Mail investigators discovered that the mail had come from the 'walk' of Andrew Follows, a recently appointed postman.

Mr John Dove, prosecuting, said Follows's home was searched and a packet which had contained shoe stretchers was found in his bin.

Follows, aged 20, of Ampleforth Drive, Stafford, admitted theft of one packet and attempted criminal damage to a total of 778 packets belonging to the Royal Mail last December.

He was sentenced to eight months youth custody suspended for two years and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid community work and to pay £1,000 costs and £46 compensation.

But Judge Mark Eades told him the only thing that saved him from custody was that he didn't destroy the letters and Royal Mail were able to send them on.

But Mr Paul Hiatt, defending, said that at the time he was having difficulties with the job and he didn't know what he was doing.