The stolen post box was located beside the phone box and bus shelter pictured
THE MYSTERY of a missing post box from a rural road in the Brookeborough area remains unsolved – with locals renewing an appeal for the return of the presumedly stolen cast iron structure.
The post box was taken in the last six to eight weeks and there has been no signs of the original being returned – but, a new one is on the way.
The post box was opposite the Stone Park Cross Church near Brookeborough, on the Colebrooke Road – and was located beside a phone box and a bus shelter.
Locals noticed the missing amenity in the last number of weeks – with speculation that the box may have been taken and sold it, possibly online. A similar phonebox was this week on sale online on ebay for £220.
DUP Councillor Paul Robinson, who lives in the area, said it was a useful amenity for the local community.
“There’s a phone box, bus shelter and wee post box in the area. It must be six or eight weeks week ago that it went. I happened to be in a neighbour’s house and they told me about it being stolen,” Cllr Robinson explained.
And he said it has had an impact on the community: “It’s a rural area with a right lock of houses in it. People were probably using it if they were driving in, rather than going to Brookeborough.”
He went on: “It’s no distance out of Brookeborough. It was a big metal one, one of the old types, a heavy one. It would have taken a lot of people to move it.”
He suggested that those responsible may have already sold it on. “Maybe they’ll sell it on for an ornament, it could fetch maybe two or three hundred pounds.”
A Royal Mail spokesman said that with 115, 000 post boxes around the country, thefts are ‘relatively rare’.
He added: “We are working to replace the post box as quickly as possible but any new site is subject to underground utility cables and landowner searches. In the meantime, customers can post mail at the box at Brookeborough Post Office in the Main Street. Royal Mail apologies to customers for any inconvenience and advise anyone who has any concerns about their mail to contact our customer services team on 03457 740 740.”
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