BIRTHDAY cards filled with cash and congratulations were the target for crooked postman Michael Barnes.

However, the 30-year-old was finally caught out when he helped himself to a "planted" letter.

Bury magistrates were told how Royal Mail security staff were called in after a delivery office manager became concerned at the number of birthday card-type packages which were apparently being damaged or tampered with.

A test letter, containing marked £5 notes, was put into Barnes' delivery pile. When he failed, as he should have done under normal procedures, to "sort" the package out, he was followed.

The court was told that after leaving the office at 7.30am he called at his Scholes Walk home in Prestwich just 15 minutes later before carrying on along his round. He was questioned when he returned to the office later in the morning.

At first Barnes denied any thefts but a search of his wallet then revealed three of the marked £5 notes.

Later at his home, a large quantity of opened mail, belonging to others people, was discovered.

Barnes, a postman for more than 11 years, pleaded guilty to five charges of stealing postal packages. The court was told that when questioned he admitted stealing items over a three-month period.

Defending, Mr Robert Hargreaves said: "My client is a man of previous good character and I have still not been able to get to the bottom of just why he stole." The case was adjourned until November 13.

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