County Durham homes’ mail deliveries suspended over postie threat

Dozens of households have had their postal deliveries suspended after threats were made towards a postie, Royal Mail has said.

The company said one of its workers was “threatened and prevented from leaving” when attempting to deliver to an address in Sherburn Hill, County Durham, on Thursday. This led to the “extraordinary” decision to immediately suspend services to 53 homes in the area, it said in a letter to those affected.

Durham Police said a woman had been questioned and investigations were continuing.

Royal Mail said it hoped to resume postal services “as soon as it was safe to do so” but, in the meantime, people have been told they can collect their post from a nearby delivery office.

A spokesperson said: “Deliveries were temporarily suspended following a serious incident in which one of our posties was threatened and prevented from leaving. The incident was reported to the police, who attended the scene.

“We’re working to resume deliveries as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Police confirmed a woman aged in her 20s voluntarily went to Durham City police station on Friday for a voluntary interview regarding an accusation of “using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of or provoke unlawful violence”.

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