Bronze postbox makes mail chiefs see red

Clare Robson wants to preserve the bronze postbox Credit: ITV Anglia

The Royal Mail is to repaint a postbox red despite a Facebook campaign to keep it bronze in honour of one of our Olympians.

Over 2,000 people want the unofficial tribute in Lowestoft in Suffolk to stay in celebration of local boxer Anthony Ogogo.

The middleweight fighter beat the world number one on his way to winning a bronze at the London Games.

Mother-of-three Clare Robson set up the Save Anthony Ogogo's bronze postbox page on Facebook after a mystery fan painted the postbox in Rectory Road.

Anthony Agogo is thrilled even though it's an unofficial tribute.

He returned home to Lowestoft on Tuesday to a raptuous welcome... clearly overwhelmed by the support from the town.

"Speechless. I am so overwhelmed.. it's phenomenal .. I don't know what to say. I am doing silly things with my arms I don't know why. This is amazing somehing I've dreamed of - people in Lowestoft supporting me."

Royal Mail has been honouring British gold medallists by painting more than 50 postboxes gold. It hasn't decided how long they'll remain gold but says unofficial ones like the one in Lowestoft will be repainted as soon as possible.

A spokesman said : "We'd appreciate it if the public would leave the painting of postboxes to us."