Postmen refuse to deliver to pensioner's home claiming his 'aggressive' raspberry bush is dangerous and needs trimming

Mike Stevens was issued with health and safety warning because of bush

He said late spring was causing the bush to grow quickly this year

But he said the postmen are more than welcome to help themselves to fruit

Royal Mail visited the 67-year-old following concerns raised by staff member



Postmen are refusing to deliver mail to a pensioner's home because his raspberry bush is a health hazard.



Mike Stevens, 67, who started growing the bush five years ago, was stunned to be issued with the health and safety warning because of his 'aggressive' fruit.



The father-of-two was confronted at his home by a Royal Mail manager and a CWU postal union health and safety officer on Friday last week.

Retired teacher Mike Stevens, 67, has been told his raspbery bush is dangerous by Royal Mail and the CWU after concerns were raised by a postwoman

'Threatening': Postmen say the raspberry bush - circled - is dangerous and a risk to their staff



They claimed the 7ft tall bush was in danger of injuring their staff and unless he trimmed it back they would stop delivering to his house.



Retired teacher Mr Stevens, who has lived in the property in Market Drayton, Shropshire, for 15 years, said: 'What is the world coming to?

'It is the postal service making the problem, not my raspberries. They are not malicious.



'I have got raspberries all around my garden and all of a sudden they have sprung up around my letter box.

Prickly: Mr Stevens revealed the bush is currently growing two or three inches taller each day but said he is more than happy for the postmen to help themselves to raspberries when they visit



'The Royal Mail say it is dangerous. They came round and told me they were aggressive raspberries. It was a visit out of the blue.



'I have got a fierce growth apparently and the postmen are intimidated and threatened by it. But at the end of the day they are just raspberries and they taste lovely.



'I’ve told the postmen they are more than welcome to help themselves to a punnet of them but they are having none of it.



'They are growing vigorously this year because we had a late spring. But they haven’t got any thorns on them and they are not like nasty brambles so I don’t see what the problem is.'

Baffled: Mr Stevens said his bush has grown vigorously this year because of the late spring - but insisted there were no brambles and called for postmen to deliver his post to his door

Mr Stevens was told by Royal Mail that unless he trimmed the bush back they would stop delivering to his house

Mr Stevens revealed the bush is currently growing two or three inches taller each day.



Royal Mail spokesman Val Bodden said: 'Following concerns expressed by a postwoman delivering to an address in Market Drayton, regarding access problems, a Royal Mail manager, accompanied by a CWU postal union health and safety officer, visited the premises.



'They spoke to the owner and he agreed to tie back the bushes blocking the pathway to his letterbox and we were satisfied with his response.

