A POSTMAN has pleaded guilty to burning more than 1,000 letters and packages and failing to deliver a further 1,500.

The charred remains of the mail burnt by Christopher Wills was discovered by firefighters who were called out on reports of a blaze in a hedge.

Royal Mail officials were alerted and an investigation traced the letters back to the 18-year-old employee.

Yesterday (4), Wills, of Adler Court, Derby, appeared at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court where he admitted two counts of intentionally delaying the delivery of 1,510 postal packets between January 10 and February 23.

He also pleaded guilty to arson after burning 1,015 letters and packages belonging to Royal Mail on February 23.

Andy Cash, prosecuting, said Wills had been employed by Royal Mail at the Derby delivery office for seven months.

He said: “On February 20, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service received an emergency call about a hedge fire in Waterford Drive, Chaddesden.

“Postal packets were found to be the primary cause of the fire.

“There were 915 fire-damaged packets and the debris of 100 more.”

“Mail had been damaged by not only the fire but also the water used to extinguish the fire.”

Mr Cash said that, three days after the fire, Royal Mail investigators recovered a red petrol can at the scene.

Using the postmarks on the mail that survived the blaze they found it was destined for homes on the route of which Wills was in charge.

His home address was then searched. No mail was found but a petrol can matching the one recovered by the investigators was discovered.

Officers also found 1,081 packets and the contents of two letters, postmarked between January and February, in a Ford Focus parked at his address.

A further 427 pieces of mail were found in a storage box used by Wills.

Mr Cash told the court that the postman said he was going through personal difficulties when he burned the mail and knew the right thing to do was to tell his manager.

He said: “Cases like this does attract publicity and this one did as people expressed their surprise to having the charred remains of letter delivered.

“Royal Mail has a duty to deliver mail whatever the condition.”

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said the company had a zero-tolerance view of dishonesty.

She said: “We will always seek to prosecute the tiny minority of people who abuse their position of trust.”

The case was adjourned until later this month for pre-sentence reports.