A ROW has broken out after a well-loved post box was suddenly moved to a new location.

Sharples residents were shocked when they went to post their mail at the corner of Kellett Street and Park Row in Eagley — where it is believed a pillar box has stood for 170 years — to find it had disappeared.

After investigating, the confused residents found that the box had been relocated 200 metres along the road to the corner of Andrew Lane Park.

Royal Mail said the reason for the move was because the owner of the former Post Office property, Jo Davis, had asked for it to be moved from outside her renovated home.

But Ms Davis has denied this — and says she only asked for the post box to be rotated to avoid people walking directly in front of her front window.

She was outraged to find out she was being blamed for the relocation.

She said: “The irony is that I want to pay tribute to the fact I live in the old post office. I wanted to get a plaque put on the wall and none of that works if there isn’t a post box outside. Why would I want it moved?

“The post box is very popular in the community and I was the one who dressed it up in a Santa hat at Christmas — I did want it to be rotated but I explicitly told them not to move it.”

Emails seen by The Bolton News show that Ms Davis repeatedly told the Royal Mail not to move the pillar box.

In one email, a Royal Mail representative wrote: "The collections manager has advised that although the regional collection team was originally going to rotate the box — they have now decided to relocate it to avoid further alterations.”

However, a spokesman for the Royal Mail said: "The postbox was originally sited outside the former Post Office branch, but the new owner of the premises requested it to be removed. We searched for a new site, investigating underground utility cables and avoiding the narrow pavement close to the original site.

“The nearest practical location was 200 metres away further along Andrew Lane on Northland Drive.

“We apologise to customers for the inconvenience and the necessity to re-locate the post box.”

Astley Bridge councillor Hilary Fairclough said the relocating of the post box has not gone down well locally.

She said: “It is very well used and people see it as part of the community — then with no warning at all Royal Mail moved it.

“This has caused difficulties for local people, particularly the elderly who now face a long walk up and down a hill.”