A POSTMAN has narrowly avoided jail despite being caught stealing packages.

Investigators set up a sting to catch Christopher King, who was based at the Leigh sorting office, after they became suspicious.

They put three test packages in the post and lay in wait to see what he would do before catching him stealing greetings cards.

King, 39, of Lonsdale Road, Southend, later pleaded guilty to stealing 11 packages from from the Royal Mail in one day.

Laura Mackinnon, prosecuting on behalf of Royal Mail at Southend Magistrates’ Court, said: “They prepared six pretend postal packages, which they introduced into his mail route on March 16.

“He was observed carrying out his walk and his sorting of the mail. Three of the test packages were delivered correctly, but the remaining three were not.”

They waited until he got to the end of his route, when they spotted him climbing into a taxi with a red Royal Mail sack.

The investigators then burst out on him and found he still had 25 packages with him.

Three of these were the ‘test packages’ and a further eight were items which he should have delivered.

The rest were not part of his route, and it was right that he should return them to the office.

The court heard the entire investigation had cost Royal Mail £3,574 as it hired its own investigators.

In mitigation, Lee Wilcockson, said his client was “ashamed and embarrassed” by what he had done.

He told the court King had been with the Royal Mail for nine years and had no previous convictions.

King was was given a three month prison sentence suspended for a year, was ordered to do 220 hours unpaid work, and pay £2,000 towards the cost of the investigation and £120 court costs.