A postman in Buron Joyce, Nottinghamshire, has been suspended for not delivering junk mail. Local don't have a bad word to say of him.

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've 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."

Zero-tolerance

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. The opt-out scheme stops unaddressed mail items distributed by the company.