Royal Mail is investigating after a number of post boxes were stolen – including one in a Huntingdonshire village.

A postman highlighted the missing box outside of the church in Holme after he arrived to empty it but found the box and all the mail inside it had gone.

The incident is just one of several thefts reported in the area in recent weeks.

It is believed that the boxes have been taken to be sold as ornaments or for their scrap metal value.

A spokesperson for Royal Mail said it was “rare” for any one of its 115,000 post boxes to be stolen, but added that the company uses track and tag technology to help recover them when they do go missing.

Cambridgeshire Police have launched an investigation into the Holme theft and the force has also appealed for witnesses.