Undeliverable mail up 18%

A record 72 million items of mail were posted last year with addresses which were incomplete, inaccurate, illegible, or left off altogether, the Post Office revealed today.

:: The amount of so-called “undeliverable” mail increased by 18% last year.

:: The problem is getting worse and the Royal Mail believes the figure for this year could reach 85 million.

:: A team of 300 workers based in Belfast sift through the badly addressed mail looking for clues to where the letters and parcels should be sent.

:: The service costs #10 million but is free to customers, even if the Royal Mail has to make several telephone calls to try to track down an addressee.

:: Undelivered items are usually kept for three months before being pulped.

:: Mail found to have sentimental or other value can be stored for up to a year.

:: Many people and businesses do not use postcodes, almost 30 years after they were first launched.

:: Recent examples of badly addressed mail included a letter sent to a caravan site, which read: “The lady in red, with the blue Volkswagen, camp shop.”

:: Another envelope, containing a cheque for #1,000, was addressed to Lord Nelson, with a note which read: “Thanks for a great party.”

:: Royal Mail staff tracked the intended recipient to a pub called the Lord Nelson.

:: Details of postcodes are available on a special telephone hotline, 08457 111 222, or on a website, www.royalmail.com