ROYAL Mail have changed the collection times of many rural post boxes around Chester – without telling customers.

The issue was highlighted by Margaret Walker, of Straight Mile, Poulton, when she posted a birthday card to a relative 10 minutes before the advertised collection time.

But she was told by a passer-by that the collection had already been made, and that mail was now being taken earlier.

“It would appear that Royal Mail decided to change the time of collecting mail from their postboxes several weeks ago and as far as I, and many other people, are aware no prior warning of these changes was given,” she said.

“More importantly, several weeks after the changes were implemented some of the small rural postboxes still display the old collection time. This is not good enough.

“Are we country-dwellers not supposed to have urgent first class mail? Do we not have a right to mail birthday cards and rely on them arriving on the right date?”

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “Final collection times for around 140 postboxes in the CH1-5 postcode districts were changed several weeks ago to improve the efficiency of our collection operation in the area. Notices advising customers of the time changes were placed on the affected boxes a

few weeks before the changes took place.

“We apologise that the collection plate for the postbox on Straight Mile, Poulton, hasn't yet been changed but a new plate will be fitted as soon as possible. The final collection time for this box has changed from 4.49pm to 4.30pm.

“Regarding the notices we place on the boxes giving advance warning of the changes, unfortunately we sometimes find that they are removed by members of the public.”

The new collection times in and around Chester are as follows:

ALDFORD: Middle Lane CH3 6JA 17:00

ASHTON: Ashton Post Office CH3 8BH 16:45

ASTON: Aston shops CH5 1XB 16:15

BACHE: Safeway CH2 1BT 17:15

BACKFORD CROSS: Kinnerton Way CH1 6PB 16:30

BACKFORD VILLAGE: Church Lane CH2 4BE 16:00

BALDERTON: Lache Lane CH4 9LF 17:30

BARROWMORE VILLAGE: Barnhouse Lane CH3 7JY 16:15

BELGRAVE: Garden Centre CH4 9EB 16:45

BLACON: Blacon Hall Road CH1 5BE 16:00

BLACON: Blacon Point Road CH1 5LD 16:00

BLACON: Burns Way CH1 5DJ 18:00

BLACON: Chevron Hey CH1 5PX 17:30

BLACON: Mayfield Road CH1 5HZ 18:00

BLACON: Westbourne Road CH1 5BA 16:00

BOUGHTON: Boughton Straight CH3 5AF 16:00

BRETTON: A55 CH4 0EN 16:45

BRETTON: Bretton Lane End CH4 0DW 16:00

BRIDGE TRAFFORD: Warrington Road CH2 4EE 16:00

BROUGHTON: Broad Oak Avenue CH4 0PP 16:30

BROUGHTON: Broughton Hall Road CH4 0QR 16:30

BROUGHTON: Broughton Mills Road CH4 0DF 16:15

BROUGHTON: Forest Drive CH4 0QT 16:30

BROUGHTON: Lansdown Road CH4 0NY 16:30

BROUGHTON: Parkfield Road CH4 0SE 16:30

BROUGHTON: Tesco CH4 0DP 16:00

BROUGHTON: Warren Hall Court CH4 0EW 16:45

BURWARDSLEY: Higher Burwardsley CH3 9PF 16:30

CAPENHURST: Penfold Close CH1 6HJ 17:30

CHESTER: Bridge Street CH1 1NN 16:45

CHESTER: Chantry House CH1 3AE 16:02

CHESTER: City Road CH1 3BQ 16:00

CHESTER: Curzon Park CH4 8AR 17:00

CHESTER: Dee Hills Park CH3 5AR 17:30

CHESTER: Gawer Park CH1 4DA 16:00

CHESTER: Jesmond Court CH1 4PY 17:30

CHESTER: Liverpool Road CH2 1AL 16:00

CHESTER: Tesco Frodsham Street CH1 3JS 16:15

CHESTER: The Groves CH1 1SD 17:45

CHESTER: Wrexham Road CH4 7QQ 17:30

CHRISTLETON: Old Mill Shop CH3 6AE 17:30

CHRISTLETON: Woodfields CH3 7AU 16:30

CLUTTON: Clutton Post Office CH3 9ET 16:15

CREWE BY FARNDON: Crewe Lane South CH3 6NZ 16:00

DUNKIRK: Chester Gates CH1 6LT 16:15

ECCLESTON: Rake Lane CH4 9JN 16:15

ELTON: Thornton CH2 4LJ 16:00

GATESHEATH: Chester Road CH3 9AH 16:00

GREAT BARROW: Mill Lane CH3 7JF 16:15

GREAT BARROW: Stamford Bridge CH3 8EL 17:00

GREAT BOUGHTON: Keristal Avenue CH3 5XA 16:30

GREAT BOUGHTON: Norley Drive CH3 5PG 17:45

GREAT BOUGHTON: Queens Road CH3 5HA 16:15

GREAT MOLLINGTON: Well Lane CH1 6LD 16:00

GREAT SUTTON: Strawberry Cross CH1 6PG 16:45

GUILDEN SUTTON: Guilden Sutton School CH3 7EX 17:30

HANDBRIDGE: Eccleston Avenue CH4 7EX 17:30

HANDBRIDGE: Hartington Street CH4 7BN 17:30

HANDLEY: Calveley Arms CH3 9DT 16:00

HARGRAVE: Church Lane CH3 7RN 16:00

HARTHILL: Garden Lane CH3 9LL 16:15

HOOLE: Brook Lane CH2 2EB 17:00

HOOLE: Brook Street CH1 3DN 16:45

HOOLE: Ermine Road CH2 3AF 17:30

HOOLE: Faulkner Street CH2 3BD 16:30

HOOLE: Hamilton Street CH2 3JG 17:30

HOOLE: Hoole Lane CH2 3LG 16:15

HOOLE: Hoole Road CH2 3NH 17:30

HOOLE: Mark Close CH2 3PJ 16:00

HOOLE: Station View CH2 3DT 16:00

HUNTINGTON: Chester Road CH3 6BS 16:45

HUNTINGTON: Harebell Close CH3 6RT 16:30

HUXLEY: Hargrave Village CH3 7RQ 16:00

KINNERTON: Moor Crescent CH4 9AG 17:00

LACHE PARK: Barony Way CH4 7NP 17:30

LACHE PARK: Forgeway CH4 7NG 17:30

LITTLE STANNEY: Stanney Lane CH2 4HT 16:30

MICKLE TRAFFORD: York Drive CH2 4DT 16:00

MOSTON: The Dale CH2 4AN 17:00

MOULDSWORTH: Mouldsworth Station CH3 8AJ 16:45

NEWTOWN: Thackery Towers CH1 3BW 16:15

PLAS NEWTON: Newhall Road CH2 1S 16:15

PLAS NEWTON: Pear Tree Way CH2 1PW 16:30

PLAS NEWTON: Tiverton Close CH2 1QF 16:30

POULTON: Straight Mile CH4 9EE 16:30

PULFORD: Old Post Office CH4 9DG 16:15

QUEENS PARK: Victoria Crescent CH4 7AX 17:30

ROWTON: New Waverton CH3 7QW 16:45

ROWTON: Rowton Bridge CH3 6AF 17:00

ROWTON: Rowton Hall CH3 6AT 16:45

SAIGHTON: Saighton Camp CH3 6DX 16:30

SALTNEY: Curzon Street CH4 8BJ 16:45

SAUGHALL: Church Road CH1 6EP 16:45

SAUGHALL: Factory Corner CH1 6EW 17:30

SAUGHALL: Green Lane CH1 6AF 17:45

SAUGHALL: Hermitage Road CH1 6BE 17:30

SAUGHALL: Larchfields CH1 6BU 17:30

SAUGHALL: Rake Way CH1 6AZ 17:30

SAUGHALL: The Ridings CH1 6AX 17:30

STOAK: Little Stanney Lane CH2 4HW 16:15

TARVIN: Hallfield Road CH3 8LL 16:15

TARVIN: Heath Lane CH3 8LU 16:15

TARVIN: Holme Bank CH3 8EQ 17:15

TARVIN: Oscroft CH3 8NQ 16:30

TATTENHALL: Hatton Heath CH3 9AU 17:15

TATTENHALL: High Street CH3 9PX 17:00

TATTENHALL: Hoofield Corner CH3 9BU 16:30

TATTENHALL: Ravensholme Court CH3 9RA 17:00

THORNTON LE MOORS: Poole Lane CH2 4JQ 16:00

UPTON: Marlow Avenue CH2 1NQ 16:00

UPTON: Wealstone Lane CH2 1HB 16:15

UPTON: Weston Grove CH2 1QL 16:30

VICARS CROSS: Green Lane CH3 5LB 16:15

VICARS CROSS: Melrose Park CH3 TJJ 16:15

VICARS CROSS: Tarvin Road CH3 5NL 17:45

WAVERTON: Waverton Business Park CH3 7PD 16:45

WERVIN: Wervin Road CH2 4BP 16:15