Latest news with #letterboxes
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
MP asks Government to deliver ban on low-level letterboxes in new Bill
The Government has been urged to raise its standards and deliver by banning low-level letterboxes. Labour MP Anneliese Midgley said she had spoken to postal workers in her Knowsley constituency who had lost parts of fingers, and suffered back problems from stooping to post mail through foot-level flaps. She said the Government could halt the danger to postal workers by changing existing British Standards – required technical regulations on products and services in the UK – to ensure manufacturers and housebuilders install the features at least 70cm off the ground. Introducing a 10-minute rule Bill in the Commons, Ms Midgley told MPs: 'This Government says it wants to raise standards and focus on delivery. So I have got a perfect Bill for them. It's the Letterbox Positioning Bill. 'Last Christmas, I visited the Royal Mail delivery office in my constituency in Huyton. I watched our posties working flat out, and it really hit home how hard they work, whatever the weather, whatever the conditions, and I asked, what could I do to help? 'They said 'sort out those low-level letterboxes', because they're worried that one of these days, one of them could get a life-changing injury.' She said one postal worker in Lancaster lost the top of a finger when it was bitten off by a dog when he was posting a letter. Another in south London suffered damage to a finger when a dog 'locked on' to his hand, she added. 'Around 1,000 of our posties have had their fingers partly or fully bitten off through a letterbox in the past five years. It is clear to me that letterboxes have reached a new low, and it's time we in this House raise them,' she said. MPs also heard political party campaigners had suffered injuries while leafletting. Deputy Speaker Nusrat Ghani responded to the end of Ms Midgley's speech and said: 'As a frequent leafletter in Sussex Weald I am particularly invested in this piece of legislation.' In addition, the Commons heard that Royal Mail had recorded more than 18,000 back injuries in one year. Ms Midgley said Ireland, Portugal and Belgium had already adopted measures similar to those she proposed. 'Let's catch up with our neighbours on this,' she said. 'Let's raise the bar, or height, literally on letterboxes. It will save pain, prevent injury and cut costs. 'It's the right thing to do for the people who deliver our post, a part of our community who look after us day in, day out.' She added: 'So I ask this House to give this Bill the stamp of approval and get it signed, sealed and delivered.' Her Bill will be added to private members' Bills that could be debated on July 11.
BBC News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Ex-postman and Corby MP sponsors bill to ban low letterboxes
A Labour MP who used to be a postal worker is co-sponsoring a parliamentary bill to outlaw low-level letterboxes on front doors and Barron, who represents Corby and East Northamptonshire, said putting the slots close to the ground increases physical strain suffered by postal also puts them at greater risk of dog issue has been the subject of a campaign for more than 60 years. Although many letterboxes are at waist height, a good number are still at the bottom of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) started a campaign to raise the levels of letterboxes way back in British Standards Agency agreed that they should not be installed close to the ground, but this was never enshrined into building standards who was elected to the Northamptonshire seat last year, said: "As a former postal worker and as someone who represented Corby and East Northamptonshire postal workers for over a decade, I'm co-sponsoring a 10-minute rule bill that will go before Parliament with an aim for a UK-wide ban on the installation of ground-level letterboxes in all new builds and front door replacements."He wants to make the installation height dimensions in the relevant British standard mandatory. The standard states that letterboxes must be installed between 70cm (2ft 4in) and 170cm (5ft 7in) from the delivery floor level, except in special cases such as historic Barron said: "The reasons why this is so important is due to the cumulative physical strain induced by constant bending right down to floor level while out on delivery and also the increased risk of dog bites through the letterbox when it is at ground level."The CWU said a delegation from the union had met the current minister of state for housing and planning in March to discuss the issue.A union spokesperson said: "It was a positive meeting and this conversation is currently ongoing."The 10-minute rule procedure allows MPs to put the case for a bill to become law in a speech lasting no more than 10 minutes. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
