Loner 'stole gadgets from Coventry's Royal Mail depot'

A 63-year-old ‘‘loner’’ hoarded engineering equipment worth thousands of pounds after stealing it from Royal Mail over four years.


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When investigators searched Colin Baber’s home, in Siddeley Avenue, Stoke, Coventry, they found an “Aladdin’s cave” of unusual gadgets and gizmos – all taken from the Bishop Street sorting office where he worked for a decade.

Baber, 63, never used or sold any of the items he took but still missed out on a £38,000 payout from Royal Mail as a result of breaching his redundancy agreement .

Royal Mail bosses had raised concerns because things had been going missing at the sorting office, which shut at the end of last year.

They started carrying out spot checks on employees and on September 8 last year they noticed that Baber, who was employed as an engineer, was attempting to leave the premises with two large bags.

When they searched the bags they discovered three large printer blocks, worth £3,300.

Investigators then went to his home where they found £14,407 of goods belonging to Royal Mail.

At Coventry Crown Court yesterday Baber, who had pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, avoided an immediate jail sentence for the crimes.

Prosecutor John Dove said: “At Mr Baber’s home investigators found an Aladdin’s cave of items.

“The defendant subsequently admitted he had been taking them periodically over the last four years.

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I don't believe he's a thief. Everybody 'borrows' stuff from work. These ones were of no real value to anyone which leads me to believe the Post Office was just looking for an excuse not to pay him his redundancy money.

I don't believe he's a thief. Everybody 'borrows' stuff from work. These ones were of no real value to anyone which leads me to believe the Post Office was just looking for an excuse not to pay him his redundancy money.

Unfortunately Dutchman, when the chips are down these companies will do anything they can to avoid a redundancy payout. In any redundancy programme I've been involved in, (Motor industry - Plenty!) security is always stepped up. Any small transgression will be used.

I even know of a guy who was taking voluntary redundancy and let slip he had another job lined up. The offer of redundancy was withdrawn, but he was first out once the plan became compulsory.

I've also watched plenty of old scores being settled.