A FORMER postman from East Morton who hoarded more than 16,000 items of undelivered mail has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Fredrick Blake, 25, stored letters and other post at his home and in his car and even dumped thousands of items in a rented lock-up in Wilsden – 16 miles from his house.

During an investigation by Royal Mail in August 2015 Blake told them he had not delivered the post over a six-month period because he was "tired and lazy", but Bradford Crown Court heard today that at the time of the offending he was also struggling to cope with work and personal difficulties.

Blake, who previously lived at Barden Road, Eastby, was suspected of not delivering the post after members of public complained about special delivery packages going missing.

Prosecutor Helen Chapman said an investigation using specially-prepared post was launched in July 2015 and Blake was put under observation when he was supposed to delivering six packages the following month.

Miss Chapman said Blake left the delivery office, but went straight home and remained there for the rest of the afternoon.

Blake, now of The Square, East Morton, agreed to searches of his home and vehicle and investigators recovered more than 12,000 undelivered items of post.

During an interview in August 2015 Blake conceded there was no excuse for what he had done and he had chosen not to deliver the mail.

"He admitted within the interview that in essence he would just go home," said Miss Chapman.

"He told officers that he was tired and lazy."

Blake admitted he had opened just over 100 of the items and had stolen £300 from one special delivery packet.

Miss Chapman said it was not until March last year that the owner of the lock-up in Wilsden contacted the police after forcing his way into the unit and finding Blake's dumped mail.

The lock-up contained 15 full mailbags and three smaller sacks amounting to a further 3,406 items of post.

When he was questioned about the lock-up Blake said he had "completely forgotten" about the undelivered mail he had left there.

Miss Chapman said in total Blake had "stored or hoarded" 16,259 items and it had cost Royal Mail almost £1200 to redeliver the post.

Blake pleaded guilty at his first court hearing before Skipton Magistrates' Court last November to four charges of stealing multiple postal packets while working at sorting offices in Skipton and Bradford.

Recorder David Wilby QC sentenced Blake to nine months in jail, suspended for 18 months, after he accepted that the case was different from those where an employee had deliberately targeted potentially valuable items of post.

"It seems to me that this offence was not, at least at the outset, primarily motivated by avarice or to get money dishonestly," said Recorder Wilby.

"This does not have the hallmark of offences where people who work in the postal service deliberately abuse their trust and target what would appear to be items containing money or valuable items."

The judge said he had also taken into account the fact that Blake immediately admitted his guilt 17 months ago and had now started to rebuild his life.

As part of the suspended sentence order Blake will be assisted by the probation service by way of a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Barrister Nigel Jamieson, for Blake, said his client had now been able to talk more openly about the offending and it was not motivated by dishonesty, greed or a desire to steal.

"It seems to have been a lack of ability to deal with the pressures of work," said Mr Jamieson.

He submitted that Blake had "buried his head in the sand" and had been tempted to open some of the mail when he was in debt.

The court heard that Blake, who now works as a cleaner in a bar, was taking anti-depressants and had been referred for counselling by his doctor.