FURIOUS businessman Terry Neeves is threatening to call in the police after the Royal Mail lost a parcel containing thousands of pounds worth of equipment.

By PAUL GEATER

paul.geater@eveningstar.co.uk

FURIOUS businessman Terry Neeves is threatening to call in the police after the Royal Mail lost a parcel containing thousands of pounds worth of equipment.

Mr Neeves, who runs a photographic repair service from his home at Hitcham, near Stowmarket, saw red when a parcel he had sent to Norfolk went missing.

"It contained one lens worth £4,000 and another four lenses worth a total of about £1,000.

"I sent the parcel to Swanton Morley in Norfolk. I posted it on July 13 at Bildeston Post Office, although I knew it would not leave until the Monday.

"But it never reached its destination, and the Royal Mail has pushed me from pillar to post on this," he said.

"It's been almost impossible to get through to them, and no one seems interested in the problem – they just tell me to make a claim.

"But that's no use to me, the maximum they can pay is £500 and the total value of the lenses is £5,000.

"But if I accept the compensation and the lenses turn up, I can't give the money back and get the lenses, they then belong to the Royal Mail or their insurance company," Mr Neeves said.

He's also been told he only has 30 days to lodge a claim – or risk losing his chance.

"I can't make a claim and risk losing altogether," Mr Neeves said.

"This was a really big parcel – it weighed 5.5 kilos and was 14 inches by 12 inches by 10 inches.

"You can't just lose something that size – it's been stolen in the post and I'm planning to report it to the police," said Mr Neeves.

"I don't know what they can do – but they need to be informed of this. I've been told a million items a day are stolen from Parcelforce," he said.

A spokeswoman for Consignia, which owns the Royal Mail and Parcelforce, said if Mr Neeves did claim £500, he would be able to get his equipment back if it was found and if he paid back the money.

"We handle 80 million items of post to 27 million addresses every day. Sometimes things do go missing, but they usually turn up in the end. We are sorry to hear about this case – but would urge the customer to fill in a claim form," she said.

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