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£5 taxi fare – just to post his letters
A housebound 95 year old has been forced to hail a taxi to post his mail after Royal Mail bosses declared the box next to his house "unsafe" and closed it.
Vans have been collecting mail from the box in Church Street, Norton, for a century, and despite the closure of the post office locals hoped the classic red box built into the office would remain.
However, it was bricked up earlier this year, leaving William Bradshaw facing a 5 fare to drop off his mail.
He says he has appealed to the Royal Mail to restore the box, a move which was supported by the town council.
But post bosses have refused, saying there are suitable boxes 400 to 500 metres away – a 10-minute walk that is impossible for disabled Mr Bradshaw, who lives with wife Joan, 86.
He said: "I am just very unhappy that this post box has been removed. It was next door but one to my house and I could just about manage to get out and post my letters.
"It also gave me a chance to leave the house and say hello to people, but I can't do that now. I have to go to the trouble of getting a taxi once or twice a week, which costs me 5 a time.
"The nearest box is 10 minutes away now and neither me or my wife are fit enough to make it."
A spokeswoman for the Royal Mail said a new post box in that area would be unsafe because the main street has double yellow lines.
The old Post Office is now private property and so the old post box attached to it was bricked up.
She said: "The post box had to be removed earlier in the year when Norton Post Office closed and the box was then on private property. Unfortunately we cannot reinstate it nearby because traffic restrictions mean it would be unsafe both for our collection drivers and our customers.
"There are a number of alternative boxes in the vicinity within about 400 to 500 metres, so the area complies with postbox provision guidelines.
"However, we understand the inconvenience for some customers and, if a suitable alternative site can be identified in the immediate vicinity, we would consider reinstating the box in Norton."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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