I dumped junk mail, admits Edinburgh postie

A POSTMAN dumped “junk mail” that was weighing him down into bins along his route.

Iain Gallagher, of Hyvot Green, was seen putting items in the trash by a member of the Royal Mail investigations team.

Gallagher admitted “jettisoning junk mail” when questioned and quit his job after 15 years’ service.

The 51-year-old was yesterday ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid community work having pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to stealing a number of postal packages between May 1, 2011 and June 14, 2012.

Defence solicitor, Steve Donald, said Gallagher had been in extremely ill health, physically and mentally, and was now receiving alcohol counselling but had not been drunk when he committed the offence.

Mr Donald said: “He found himself unable to complete his rounds in time because he was inundated by junk mail.”