Staff member comes forward to support claims Royal Mail allowed known paedophile to keep delivering letters to Northamptonshire village

Another member of staff at Royal Mail has backed allegations to this newspaper that a paedophile was allowed to continue delivering post in Northamptonshire.

At Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday, June 20, Katy Thompson, 43, of Priory Road, Wellingborough was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to paying for sexual services of a child in April.

Two people have since come forward to allege that bosses at the Royal Mail allowed Thompson to continue to deliver letters on her round near Northampton - including to schools - after her arrest in July 2022 and even after she admitted to the child sex offence in court earlier this year.

Responding to these allegations, a Royal Mail spokesperson said: “There is no place for employees who commit such offences within Royal Mail.

“When management are made aware of any criminal conduct, an internal investigation is carried out and this is progressed in line with Royal Mail’s own internal policies as well as within the legal framework that governs employment law.”

Yesterday, the this newspaper was told that staff were “very distressed” that Thompson’s allegations were kept secret - as they have allowed her to be around their children socially - and suggested that she should have been kept indoors working.

Now, another person working at the depot has come forward. They told this newspaper that, when Thompson’s crimes came to light, police attended the Crow Lane Royal Mail delivery office to question her.

The source, who wishes to be kept anonymous, said that Thompson’s colleagues were not made aware of her offending until she was sent to prison last month and they were “absolutely gobsmacked.”

The source said: “Generally speaking, it was shock, disappointment - people were saying, ‘I am still processing it.’

“I think most people’s attitudes were they were very sad and disappointed but got to a point where she’s gone away and doing her time but probably better off moving on with her life completely when she’s out. They want to cut ties now.”

The source claimedthat Thompson - after police began investigating her last year - continued delivering on her round and began doing overtime most evenings in the Royal Mail’s collection teams.

They said they were “surprised” that Thompson was not sent to the Royal Mail sorting centre and kept away from locations with children, because postal workers are subject to DBS checks prior to starting employment.

The Royal Mail has refused to answer further questions about the new allegations, instead repeating their earlier statement.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has been approached for comment.