12 June 2007 - A postman in Buron Joyce, Nottinghamshire, has been suspended for not delivering junk mail.
The Daily Mail today reports that the postman, who had been on the round for 17 years, was accused of 'mistreatment of mail' after a Royal Mail inspector called at the local sorting office and found piles of junk mail in his pigeon-hole.
Both villagers and a local councillor have criticised Royal Mail's decision to suspend the postman. Pat Blandamer, who sits on Gedling Borough Council, said: "People don't have a bad word to say of him. He has been our postman since I have lived here and you couldn't wish for better.
"He's a very reliable, hardworking postman and someone Royal Mail should be proud of, not someone who should be subjected to all this heartache. We believe Royal Mail has over-reacted when a simple verbal warning would have sufficed quite adequately."
It is expected that a disciplinary hearing will take place later this week. A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We do not discuss individual personnel issues, but we can confirm that an employee has been suspended.
"Where there is any suggestion of an individual mistreating mail we adopt a zero-tolerance approach and take immediate and appropriate action."
In September last year postman Roger Annies was suspended and then moved to a backroom job after telling people on his round about Royal Mail's door-to-door opt-out service.