A DISTRICT councillor has slammed the Royal Mail for 'unnecessarily' closing a village post box.
Pat Murray, a Conservative representative for the Hartshorne and Ticknall ward on South Derbyshire District Council, contacted the Royal Mail after residents in the village were unable to use the post box.
Residents spoke to the councillor after wading through the recent snow to post letters - only to find that the post box at the bottom end of Ashby Road had been sealed off with black and yellow tape.
He was told by the Royal Mail that, after finding the A514 was closed for roadworks, it had automatically assumed it would not be able to get to the post box so therefore closed it off.
Another post box was at the top of Ashby road was also taped up, but the one at the lower end was not in an area affected by the roadworks.
The post box has now been re-opened after Councillor Murray explained that part of the road was still open. However, there is still no information about collection times on display.
The A514 through Ticknall, a main commuter route linking Swadlincote and Derby, is closed for up to nine weeks while Severn Trent works to replace a 100-year-old surface drain to prevent flooding.
Councillor Murray said: "I just don't understand why the post box had been sealed up while the road was still open. The post box is situated before the road works start so there should be no reason for it.
"I spoke to the Royal Mail, who said it is an inconvenience for their vans to pick up post and turn around, but that's just ridiculous.
"I have heard that elderly ladies have battled through the snow and ice to walk down Chapel Lane, across the main road, to post in Ashby Road.
"It's not right and I am sad about this.
"It's ridiculous that they say it is about inconvenience.
"I am pleased that it has now been re-opened as it was everyone complaining to the Royal Mail that made them change their minds."
A Royal Mail spokesman said: "There are currently three post boxes in Ticknall.
"As a result of sewerage work that is taking place, the post box on the Melbourne turn remained in service and two at either end of Ashby Road were sealed off on Monday, with all the mail collected over the weekend being taken out first.
"The local parish council spoke to the collections manager and we managed to open the post box at the bottom end of Ashby Road with collections at 2pm."
jenny.moody@staffordshirenewspapers.co.uk.