Just as a matter of interest to Lee and others, the photo is of me some years ago in the return letter branch of RM. The pile of letters are ones not correctly addressed and also damaged ones. If the senders name isn't on the back of the envelope, the letter is opened for the senders address and then returned to them. With damaged ones the same applies and a 'stereotype' letter of apology is put with the item and then in a plastic envelope and delivered.
As you can see from the 'pile' there is no time to read what is on the back of an envelope, so again the staff wouldn't notice.

[URL=http://img233.imageshack.us/i/areturnletters.jpg/]

Bloody hell look how many there are - what are you smiling at~!

Quote: Marc P @ November 11 2009, 4:36 PM GMT

Bloody hell look how many there are - what are you smiling at~!

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It was taken for the local paper at Christmas time to urge people not only to address correctly but to put their address on the back. Loads of Christmas cards each year have to be 'binned' because no one puts their address inside nor on the back of the env

Some people don't even write their name inside the card! You have to guess who it might be from the postmark.
Which is fun.

I received a letter that was burned around the edges. It came in a plastic bag that said there had been a fire in a mail truck. I also received a Sears Christmas catalog about 15 years after it was mailed. It came with a note that said it had been found behind some old sorting equipment that had been removed. It was like a time capsule.

Very quickly on the subject of damaged mail.

The ROyal Mail used to drop their bags off in our front garden behind a wall for the postie to collect on his round. They paid us £20 a year for this !

Anyway – we were having some work done in the back garden so I had to let our dogs out the front one. I forgot about the bags and sent the dogs proceeded to wreak all the mail, chewed it up etc!

The joke is, is that a few days later we got some letters in a sealed up bag, all chewed up with a standard letter saying sorry, but the mail got damaged by some dogs.

I did feel bad.

I'm gobsmacked, Lee. It's not been a good day for us here, at all. But at least damage has been limited some what. If it's someone here then we need to root them out.

Can't you come back under a pseudonym? Why don't you give it a few days before making a decision because you don't want to give that person the satisfaction of appearing to have won. But whatever you decide keep us informed via Facebook, please.

Quote: SlagA @ November 11 2009, 5:39 PM GMT

Why don't you give it a few days before making a decision because you don't want to give that person the satisfaction of appearing to have won.

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It's not really a case of winning or losing; it's more a case of self-preservation.

But very sorry to hear about this incident, Lee.

C**t.

Unless somebody on this site knows that you are involved with a production company, as in you have told them, then possibly it could be. Or could it be a jealous friend of family, or family..

That's absolutely terrible!

You will be missed from the forums Lee, and good luck in the future.

Can only echo what everyone else has said Lee. Very best of luck with your projects and hope you come back here in some guise (for our benefit - we're selfish bastards).

Thanks for all the kind words guys. In an interesting development, it so happens I have a mate who's a policeman and he gave me the full rundown of what they can do to help me. Also my wife's uncle is VERY high-up in the force so I've got good on my side. Obviously I'm not saying this IS what the police will do, but it could be one or a combination of the following.

Basically if the stamp was licked, it can be easily DNA tested. The handwriting on the address can be scanned and fed into a national database for matches. The whole document can be chemically-treated which can apparently reveal a ton of evidence, even if the letter-sender was very careful to avoid it. There's also the matter of fingerprints. And he said the postmark could be recovered if the damage wasn't too bad.

But also - and this is crucial - because the letter was fire-damaged, the Royal Mail intercepted it at the post office centre closest to where it was posted, and put it in another bag, which should have the Post Office Sorting Centre's unique number on it.

So we may well be able to get the town where it was posted, which narrows things down a lot.

Quote: Lee Henman @ November 11 2009, 6:22 PM GMT

Thanks for all the kind words guys. In an interesting development, it so happens I have a mate who's a policeman and he gave me the full rundown of what they can do to help me. Also my wife's uncle is VERY high-up in the force so I've got good on my side. Obviously I'm not saying this IS what the police will do, but it could be one or a combination of the following.

Basically if the stamp was licked, it can be easily DNA tested. The handwriting on the address can be scanned and fed into a national database for matches. The whole document can be chemically-treated which can apparently reveal a ton of evidence, even if the letter-sender was very careful to avoid it. There's also the matter of fingerprints. And he said the postmark could be recovered if the damage wasn't too bad.

But also - and this is crucial - because the letter was fire-damaged, the Royal Mail intercepted it at the post office centre closest to where it was posted, and put it in another bag, which should have the Post Office Sorting Centre's unique number on it.

So we may well be able to get the town where it was posted, which narrows things down a lot.

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Oh, this should be fun. Keep us posted.

Oooh.
Despite being wholly unpleasant, this is getting quite exciting.

Ooooohhh....

*puts on deerstalker hat, lights pipe, plays violin and injects heroin*