Royal Mail takes action over "aggressive raspberries" outside home

A pensioner has been issued with a health and safety warning by the Royal Mail after he was told his “aggressive raspberries” were threatening a postwoman. Mike Stevens, 67, said he was shocked when he had a visit by two Royal Mail staff asking him to cut back or tie back his fruits so that no post men or women were injured delivering his letters.

Mr Stevens, who has lived in his house in Market Drayton, Shropshire, for 15 years, said: “I have got raspberries all around my garden and all of a sudden they have sprung up around my letter box. It has made the Royal Mail say it is dangerous. They came round and told me they were aggressive raspberries. It was a visit out of the blue. I have got a fierce growth apparently and they seem intimidating and threatening.”



The Royal Mail has not told Mr Stevens they will stop delivering his post, but felt the issue needed to be addressed. He said they came to an agreement that he would train the raspberries or force them back out of the way. “What is the world coming to?” he added. “It is the postal service making the problem, not my raspberries. They are not malicious.” He said he hoped in the future whoever is delivering his letters might be able to enjoy a raspberry or two.

Val Bodden, of the Royal Mail, said: “Following concerns expressed by the post woman delivering to an address in Market Drayton, regarding access problems, a Royal Mail manager, accompanied by a CWU postal union health and safety officer, visited the premises. They spoke to the owner and he agreed to tie back the bushes blocking the pathway to his letterbox and we were satisfied with his response. Royal Mail will not compromise on the health and safety of our postmen and women.”