BUNGLING postal staff left bags of mail lying in the street in Chandler's Ford.

The bags, full of mail for Chandler's Ford residents, were discovered left outside a Royal Mail lock-up pouch at the corner of Coach Hill Close and Wellbrooke Gardens.

The pouches are regularly used to store bags of mail until a postman collects them for delivery to nearby homes.

Moira Clark, 54, a poet who lives in nearby Swanton Gardens, Chandler's Ford, first noticed two bags left outside the drop point two weeks ago.

Yet despite reassurances from Royal Mail that it was a one-off, she has since found keys left in the lock and another bag full of mail and parcels, left outside.

"This is just ridiculous," she said.

"It's infuriating to think that someone could have helped themselves to everybody's personal mail. There could have been anything in there."

Kit Dalton, 37, a classroom assistant, also of Swanton Gardens, phoned the police about the mailbag.

"They told me to take the bag home and they informed Royal Mail, who came and picked it up," she said.

"They did apologise to me, but it's really quite worrying because you never know what's in there with Christmas coming up, and anyone could have taken it."

A spokesman for Royal Mail said secure pouches such as the one on Coach Hill Close, were strategically positioned to give a better service of delivery.

"The mail was to be delivered by a temporary member of staff who didn't have a key for the secure drop point. But procedures have not been followed and it's happened before, so we have notified the people concerned. We thank those customers who brought it to our attention, and as soon as we were notified we collected the bag and apologised for any inconvenience."

Mrs Clark is writing to local MP Sandra Gidley about the problems with the post.

"How can Royal Mail deserve to be called 'royal' if this is the service we receive after paying postage," she said.

Today Romsey MP Sandra Gidley said she would be taking the matter up with Royal Mail.

She told the Daily Echo: "This shouldn't happen. Everybody does need to be aware of procedures."

Mrs Gidley added: "Especially at this time of year, a postal bag must be a bit like Aladdin's Cave. It is an open invitation for people to take things from it."

Chandler's Ford and Hiltingbury borough councillor John Caldwell said: "It is very concerning. One expects more from the Royal Mail now that they have reorganised themselves and are claiming that their services are much improved."