Cromer posties win postcard poser

A holiday postcard prank is testing the knowledge of Norfolk's posties - and they are winning every time.

For years customers and friends of Cromer tobacconist Bill Murray have been sending him picture postcard notes from destinations around the world - with an obscure address for his shop on the back.

The latest one from retired publican John Groom was dispatched to: 'The shop on the corner, near a bank, in north Norfolk's premiere seaside town, England, NR.'

And it got from Tenerife to Cromer in just four days.

Mr Murray, who has been running the Crossways shop in Chapel Street for 15 years and uses the post a lot for mailing website orders, said: 'The Post Office get lot of flak and nobody says how good they are.

'I send 10 parcels a day from this shop and they all get there the next day

'This is a silly thing we have been doing for years and people have sent cards from around the UK, Europe and even Australia, to all kinds of addresses including 'the nice smelling shop' and they always get here.

'The mail sorters deserve pats on the back all the way down the line for getting it here to England then Norfolk, then Cromer and the shop.'

Card sender Mr Groom said he tried to make the address obscure without being impossible but the mail staff won every time, adding: 'Maybe it's because Bill is famous.'

A Royal Mail spokesperson praised its workers but also reminded people to help the staff by using a full address.

'We are delighted that our postmen and women in Cromer were able to use their detective skills and local knowledge to get this item of mail delivered safely and to the right person.

'Our staff always go the extra mile to try and deliver our customers' mail,' she said.

'However, we would ask our customers to help our postmen and women by always addressing their mail accurately and clearly using the full address, including the postcode.'