Post Boxes / Cache Placement and the Law.

[+SierraFive]

I stumbled across a little piece of legislation relevent to cachers in the UK.

 

Under the Postal Services Act 2000 it is an offence to affix advertisments or other things (Read here caches) to post boxes or other property belonging to or used by a universal service provider (Read here Royal Mail / The Post Office / Parcel Force).

 

Just thought i'd mention it in case anyone was looking to place a cache on a post box somewhere or other Royal Mail property. Especially as the cache placer would be traceable via the notices etc in the cache!!!!

[+Just Roger]

I suspect that "a universal service provider" would also include the other utilities (here read gas, water or electricity). Taken to the extreme that would raise the question over all the caches near resevoirs

[nobby.nobbs]

all of which is irelevent is you get permision.....

[+Paul G0TLG]

all of which is irelevent is you get permision.....

 

Not totally irrelevant - if this is right (and I've no reason to think it isn't), then there wouldn't be anyone with authority to give permission, although there may be some people who think they have!

 

A cache near me has been temp disabled because the placer discovered they'd got permission from the wrong person: Probably the person who gave permission thought they were allowed to do so.

[+currykev]

My postie said it'd be ok.

So now you have your authority everyone.

[foetus]

Then there's the TERRORIST THREAT posed by Victoria's Mailbox: a locationless cache which was archived long before locationless caches were banned!

 

See this thread

[Deego]

ah that takes me back

 

Then there's the TERRORIST THREAT posed by Victoria's Mailbox: a locationless cache which was archived long before locationless caches were banned!

 

See this thread

[+Kryten]

There is terrorist history related to post boxes. Shortly after the coronation of our current Queen, the first Royal Mail post boxes in Glasgow bearing the legend "E II R" (Elizabeth 2nd) were blown up by Scottish extremists who objected to the presence of the numeral II in Her Majestys' title. The remaining boxes were removed and replaced with less politically sensitive inscriptions. To this day, the "E II R" title is absent from Scottish post boxes.

 

Why is it sensitive, well when James VI of Scotland became King of England he chose the title of James I (because no previous King of England had been called James) he apparently established the precedent of "starting again" with the numbering. So rembering that Queen Elizabeth I was Queen of England only, the extremists felt that Scotland could not have a second Queen Elizabeth without there ever having been a first.

 

The explanation is that there are no fixed rules. Each sovereign is free to choose their title as they see fit. Both King James and Queen Elizabeth chose their titles.

[markandlynn]

Then there's the TERRORIST THREAT posed by Victoria's Mailbox: a locationless cache which was archived long before locationless caches were banned!

 

See this thread

 

There was another thread after that one stating it wasnt a terrorist threat in the end i believe thieves were targeting them for stealing as the resale value is / was quite high.

[+sssss]

section 86 of the Postal Services Act 2000. is a right rivitting read, how on earth did you come across that

[+SierraFive]

I think its important that everyone realises that Section 86 would make it an offence to put a cache on a postbox or post office property. I have included the wording of the legislation below. Whilst the legislation indicates that it's only an offence if you do it without due authority, in reality it is highly unlikely that you would get the authority you require to place a cache. Certainly your local postal worker will not be in a position to grant the authority on behalf of the universal service provider. Whilst caches are often placed without the permision of landowners, placing a cache under these circumstances could lead to prosecution. Therefore if by some amazing chance you did get given authority to place a cache on a mail box or on post office property,make sure you get it in writing for your own protection.

 

86. - (1) A person commits an offence if, without due authority, he affixes any advertisement, document, board or thing in or on any universal postal service post office, universal postal service letter box or other property belonging to, or used by, a universal service provider in connection with the provision of a universal postal service.

 

(2) A person commits an offence if, without due authority, he paints or in any way disfigures any such office, box or property.

 

(3) A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (2) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

 

(4) In this Act-

 

"universal postal service letter box" means any box or receptacle provided by a universal service provider for the purpose of receiving postal packets, or any class of postal packets, for onwards transmission in connection with the provision of a universal postal service, and

 

"universal postal service post office" includes any house, building, room, vehicle or place used for the provision of any postal services in connection with the provision of a universal postal service or a part of such a service.

[+Simply Paul]

...86. - (1) A person commits an offence if, without due authority, he affixes any advertisement, document, board or thing in or on any universal postal service post office...

Two things:

i) As this reads, it's ok for women to place caches on letterboxes.

ii) Affix is a bit vague too. Glue, screws and bolts affix, but magnets...?

 

Anyway, in the 800+ caches I've found, none of them have been on a post box so perhaps it's not a big issue - interesting to hear it's a specific offence though. I can understand why it is one though - You'd have boxes covered in flyers and 'fake post box fronts' to steal folks letters otherwise.

 

Now phone box caches, on the other hand...