Bastards....

Cheque scam doesn't Measure up for Bill
By Charlie Stong


A MAN found himself almost £3,000 down after his cheque book was lost in the post.

Bill Measure, of Richmond Road, Leytonstone, called in to his local branch of Nat-West in Leytonstone last week and tried to draw £100 in cash from his account. He was horrified when he was told that his account was £2,000 overdrawn £1,400 over his limit.

Mr Measure said he believed he had £350 left in his account.

When staff checked the details of recent withdrawals from the account, they found that two cheques had been ripped from his book and both signed away for £1,350.

The bank insisted that the cheque book had been sent out intact and, it seems, the cheque book became lost in the post.

Mr Measure said: "I was shocked. To be honest, I'm one of these boring people who never let their account get overdrawn, but I have a £600 limit just in case. When I couldn't take any money out I was totally confused.

"I haven't usually had any problems in the past with the Post Office and the staff and my Nat-West branch is always very friendly but this time I feel totally let down by the Post Office and by the bank for allowing this to happen."

Mr Measure's account was totally reimbursed by Nat West which apologised for the incident. The cheque book has now been cancelled.

However, Mr Measure's trust in the Post Office seems to have disappeared.

He is planning a trip to York for the Railway Bicentenial Celebrations with a friend.

He said: "I made sure I took my mate's ticket over to his house in Enfield myself. I would have sent it in the post but I have now lost all faith in the Post Office.

"I didn't want to be sitting next to some dodgy bloke on the train who'd bought a ticket from some shifty-eyed geezer in a pub."

The story follows umpteen others of people who have lost items in the post, including Mothers' Day cards, money and gifts.