Postbox thefts in Suffolk and Norfolk 'could be linked'
Seven red postboxes have been stolen from villages in West Suffolk in the last week
Last updated 20th Jan 2022
Suffolk Police say the recent spate of red letter box thefts in Suffolk could be linked to similar thefts taking place across the border in Norfolk.
Seven heritage post boxes were stolen from villages near Haverhill and Bury St Edmunds in the last week.
Sergeant Brian Calver from Suffolk Police's Rural and Wildlife Policing Team said:
"Last weekend, overnight Friday night to Saturday we had three stolen and one was from Wixoe, one in Cowlinge and the other one Hawkeden.
"Then again, Monday night into Tuesday, overnight we had one in Stoke-by-Clare, Depden Green and Chedburgh taken."
Post boxes have also been taken near King's Lynn and Hunstanton in recent weeks.
Sgt Calver thinks its very possible the incidents are linked:
"The first theft that we had was on the 7 January in the village of Rickinghall on the county's border and not far from Diss.
"I'm aware that Norfolk had a spate of these in the run up to that and it would appear that they just come over the border and targeted us.
"I think there's certainly connections and we've got to keep an open mind. Sometimes we'll see copycat groups and targeting these offences.
"However, I strongly suspect there probably are links because a lot of heritage crime is committed by people that will travel significant distances to carry them out."
The loss of the classic red postboxes has deeper implications for communities. Sgt Calver said:
" They've now got to travel further to drop a letter, now that they haven't got that connectivity on their doorstep. I know a lot of people use digital communications nowadays, but people still do put things in the post.
"There's also the issue of some people putting valuable documents in the post like birth certificates, death certificates, driving licenses, passports, which means you then run the high risk of identity theft.
"It's not just that, there's so much context to these things. That post box in being, it's got culture and It's got history. People value that. Much like the red phone boxes people love to see that sort of stuff about.
"And unfortunately if people take that, it's lost forever. You can't replace it even if you put a like-for-like up there from modern day materials."
"They are a traditional piece of street furniture from a a traditional village scene in England. People love that stuff and and it does fetch a quite reasonably high price."
Yesterday, Suffolk Police put out an appeal requesting witnesses to come forward and share any information they have with regards to these robberies. Sgt Calver says help from the public will be essential in investigating these thefts, as well as preventing any further ones.
"Most of them are being taken from remote, rural locations, so evidentially there is very little to go on and and it does make it a challenge to investigate. However, this is where we rely on the public's eyes and ears and people to come forward.
"If you live near one of these and you hear noises at night, you hear the sound of power tools where you wouldn't normally, have a look out the window. If you see suspicious activity, dial 999 and record vehicle details, numbers and descriptions.
"Also, if you're a shift worker and you're coming home late at night, or if you're coming back from an evening out and you see a vehicle parked up in a location near a letter box and it looks a bit suspicious, do give us details and call it in.
"If it looks really out of place, we're more than happy to have a 999 call and come out and check it out."