Investigation underway after spate of Royal Mail post box thefts in Peterborough area
Video report by ITV News Anglia's Claire McGlasson
Royal Mail has confirmed it is investigating after a number of post boxes were stolen in the Peterborough area.
The alarm was raised when a postman arrived to empty one outside the church in the village of Holme, only to find the box and all the mail inside it had gone.
The incident is just one of several thefts reported in the area in recent weeks.
Although no one knows for sure yet why the boxes are being targeted, the theory is that they may be sold as ornaments or for their scrap metal value.
"We're in the middle of a lockdown and we're three weeks away from Christmas so it couldn't have come at a worse time really," John Griffin, Chairman of Holme Parish Council said.
"Who would want to pinch a lovely old post box and the post? They stole the post as well! What are they going to do with it?"
A spokesperson for Royal Mail said it was rare for any one of its 115,000 post boxes to be stolen, but added that the company uses track and tag technology to help recover them when they do go missing.
Cambridgeshire Police have launched an investigation into the Holme theft and the force has also appealed for witnesses.