Image copyright Gemma Evans Image caption The Christmas card ended up in California

A Christmas card thought to have been posted in south Wales to an address in Warwickshire has been delivered 5,200 miles away - in the United States.

The festive greeting was sent from Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan, to Mr T Roberts in Bidford-on-Avon.

However, bizarrely the card has landed in the mailbox of a house in San Francisco, California.

The US householders have now tweeted to warn the intended recipient he will not get the card before Christmas.

Gemma Evans, 35, of London, and her Caerphilly-born husband Richard moved to San Francisco in October.

In the run-up to the festive season the couple received a Christmas card from Mr Evans' mother in Wales.

Image copyright Gemma Evans Image caption The second-class delivery from Cowbridge to Warwickshire went a long way in the "wrong direction"

However, it was accompanied by a second mystery card addressed to someone they did not know, which had a second-class stamp for UK post and no airmail markings.

"So few people have our address out here that it was a nice surprise to get post from the UK," said Mrs Evans.

"It was from my mother-in-law in south Wales. But then it was an even bigger surprise to get this second card with it.

"It seems to have got stuck and piggy-backed the 5,000 miles in the wrong direction to California.

"We're obviously going to post it again to him... but sadly he's not going to get it in time for Christmas."