‘Aggressive’ Raspberry Bush Prevents Man From Getting His Mail

A 67-year-old British man was recently confronted by two mail delivery officials at his home over an “aggressive” raspberry bush that apparently prevented Royal Mail workers from delivering every day.

Mike Stevens was issued a health and safety warning over the bush after a staff member complained to higher-ups about it. Stevens started growing the bush five years ago, and said that it has become overgrown this year because the late spring caused it to grow quickly.

Royal Mail officials said that the “aggressive” raspberry bush, which had grown to seven feet tall, could injure their staff and had to be trimmed back or else they would stop delivering his mail altogether.

Stevens, a retired teacher and father of two, remarked that the Royal Mail officials were overreacting.

“It is the postal service making the problem, not my raspberries. They are not malicious,” Stevens said. “I have got raspberries all around my garden and all of a sudden they have sprung up around my letter box.”

In response to the Royal Mail visit, Stevens said that he believes that his shrubberies intimidate postmen, but are otherwise not a threat. He remarked that his raspberries “taste lovely” and told the postmen that they are welcome to eat as many as they like when they come by, “but they are having none of it.”

“They are growing vigorously this year because we had a late spring. But they haven’t got any thorns on them and they are not like nasty brambles so I don’t see what the problem is,” he said.

The Royal Mail merely said that they “will not compromise on the health and safety of our postmen and women.”

Stevens has reluctantly tied the “aggressive” raspberry bush back so that it’s out of the way.

[Image via: yuris / Shutterstock]