A local newspaper has started a campaign to nominate former postman Roger Annies for Royal Mail's 'First Class People' award. Mr Annies was recently suspended by Royal Mail for telling people on his round how to stop leaflets distributed by Royal Mail.

The story of the postman being suspended for delivering a homemade leaflet with instructions on how to stop junk mail became national news, and a major embarrassment for Royal Mail. Mr Annies was suspended in August when his actions came to the notice of Royal Mail managers who said the company's 'door-to-door service' (that is, the delivery of unaddressed mail) is vital to business. In September, Mr Annies lost his round and was given a backroom job instead.

After learning about the First Class People award, the Barry and District News started their own campaign to encourage their readers to nominate Mr Annies.

Public spirited act

The First Class People award is given to "postmen and women who are charity fundraisers in their spare time, or have performed a public-spirited act or dealt with an emergency while doing their deliveries". Richard Gurner of the Barry and District News reckons that Mr Annies fits that role: "There was such a national outcry about what happened to Roger Annies that we thought it was appropriate and important to try and get people to nominate him for this award. What he did hit such a nerve right across the board.

"He let the customers on his round know how to avoid unaddressed junk mail and by doing so helped to improve the public image of Royal Mail as an environmentally friendly company. But he was suspended for his trouble, despite a lot of support from the customers.

"I can't see why he wouldn't be in with a good chance for getting an award because the people on his round showed their support by starting a petition and I can't see why they wouldn't nominate him for this award."

Royal Mail has said it will not comment on the campaign run by the Barry and District News.