Shock as Peterborough residents learn mail was dumped in bin before being rescued by mystery Samaritan

The torn envelope received by Raye's sister-in law.

Last Thursday evening (December 17), Raye Francis posted nine Christmas cards, to friends and family across the country, along with a few small parcels at the postbox on Mountsteven Avenue in Werrington near her home.

All appeared to be well until she was contacted on Monday (December 21), by her sister-in-law in Peterborough, to say that her card had arrived but it was torn, she also received a tag that was on a parcel bound for London.

Originally the parcel which the tag was from had contained chocolates, a card and a cheque which were all missing.

Letter sent by mystery samaritan who found the mail dumped in a bin.

There was a note, however, inside the card which appears to be from a mystery good Samaritan which said that the mail had been found dumped in a bin on Gunthorpe Rec. The note explained the the person who found the dumped mail had tried to reunite it with its intended recipients.

The note read: “Can you please let sender know this envelope was found unsealed and dumped in a bin in local rec in Gunthorpe, along with many others.

“Lots were ripped open and torn but this was intact.

“There was also wrapping paper and the enclosed tag which looks to be from the same sender so have also enclosed so sender can know. Thank you.”

The torn envelope received by Raye's sister.

Raye also received word from her sister in Leicester that she too had received a torn envelope in the post which read: “Please let sender know this was found dumped in a bin along with many others in Gunthorpe Rec. As this one is intact we’ve been able to post on.”

Having previously worked in a sorting office, Raye noticed that the envelopes had been franked with Friday’s date (December 18), the day after she had sent them.

She believes this means the letters made it to the sorting office and were marked to indicate they could be delivered for free.

Raye thinks this means that whatever happened to the mail took place after it left the sorting office.

The tag attatched to a now missing present to Raye's sister in London.

She said: “I was really shocked and think residents should be made aware.

“I originally thought someone might have taken them from the postbox but I noticed that they were franked so clearly made it to the sorting office safely.

“A friend of mine has been waiting three weeks for a letter and she is now wondering if something like this has happened with hers.

“I certainly don’t have any faith to post anything in the future.”

The Peterborough Telegraph contacted Royal Mail for comment on Wednesday (December 23), but have not received a reply yet.