Newlyweds' fury with Royal Mail after sword goes missing

[dutchman]

Newlyweds who met while preparing for a tour of duty to Afghanistan have blasted Royal Mail for losing a ceremonial sword and sash set to take pride of place during their wedding.



Territorial Army captain Adam Scholes, 26, of Foleshill, asked close friend Dave Willey to lend him a sash – costing more than £200 – ahead of his marriage to fellow TA volunteer Debbie Hill, 31, on Saturday.

But Dave, who works with Iraqi refugees in Jordan, went a step further and had his own dress sword, worth nearly £600, engraved for the happy couple and included it in the package.

It never arrived though – and now Debbie and Adam want Royal Mail to give them a belated wedding present and finally deliver the treasured item.

“I got married in uniform,” Adam said. “But being the Territorial Army it was me who was wearing something old and something borrowed, because we’re not automatically issued dress uniform. Dave offered to send me his sash, which he got his mum to send to Debbie’s house, special delivery.

“But it never arrived. Royal Mail say it was delivered on January 14, but I stayed in all day and it definitely wasn’t.

“At that stage it didn’t matter too much, because the sash would have been covered by insurance, but when we mentioned it to Dave on the morning of our wedding he broke the news that it wasn’t just a sash in the package.”

Debbie, a lance corporal in the TA, said: “We had a wonderful day, but having Dave’s sword would have been the icing on the cake.

"Since then I’ve sent emails and tried desperately to call Royal Mail, but I haven’t managed to get through to a real person.”