A village has been left without one of its post boxes for the best part of two months, after it was knocked down by a car.

The post box which previously stood on Prince of Wales Road, near the junction with Diana Way in Caister, was removed following the incident in November, in which a vehicle damaged it.

The incident has since left some residents with walks of up to half a mile to post their mail, with the nearest post box on Brooke Avenue.

Trevor Broadbent, 83 of nearly Hebrides Way, first noticed soon after the incident when he went to post a letter.

He said: “A couple of months ago I went to my local post box on Prince of Wales Road. This is something I have done hundreds of times over the last 27 years.

“When I arrived there I stood feeling foolish, letter in hand and no post box to put it in.

“The box had served in excess of 500 houses, so it is frustrating to have to travel that extra distance.

“Now, those who are elderly or find walking particularly challenging will find it more difficult to send their mail.”

A spokesman for the Royal Mail said replacing a post box is not as simple as just erecting a new one.

He said: “We can confirm that a post box in Caister-on-Sea was removed in November after it was damaged by a car.

“We apologise to local residents for any inconvenience this has caused.

“A new post box has been scheduled for installation as soon as possible, following the completion of the necessary site scans and planning approvals.

“In the meantime, customers can use the nearby post box on Brooke Avenue or drop mail off at any Post Office branch.

“Customers who have concerns about their mail should contact our customer services team on 03457 740 740.”

The nearest Post Office to the box is on Yarmouth Road in the village, almost exactly one mile away.

For more information on postage fees and to locate your nearest post office visit the Royal Mail website.