A SOUTHAMPTON man has been hailed a hero for preventing a major security risk after a bungling Royal Mail driver left a large bunch of keys in the lock of a city centre post box.

The large metal Chubb keys, which were found in the open door of the recently-emptied post box in Bugle Street, were discovered by the 40-year-old painter as he drove home from work.

He tried to call Royal Mail to inform them but could not get through so he handed them in to the Daily Echo who notified the police.

The keys open more than a dozen Royal Mail post boxes and would have given access to all sorts of important mail if they had fallen into the wrong hands.