Anti-Junk Mail Postman Reinstated in U.K.

A British postman suspended for telling his customers how to stop receiving unsolicited advertisements has been reinstated after a nationwide backlash against direct mail, according to wire service reports.

But Roger Annies said he had been told he would not get his old route back and feared relegation to a sorting office job.

He was disciplined after Royal Mail bosses discovered he had delivered his own leaflet to houses on his south Wales round highlighting a little-known opt-out clause which can stop unsolicited commercial mail.

He was suspended on full pay but the subsequent publicity led more than 10,000 people to join the direct mail rebellion.

The U.K. Direct Marketing Association said 200,000 extra people had signed up to the Mailing Preference Service since Annies delivered his leaflet four weeks ago, which he wrote after receiving an overwhelming number of complaints about direct mail.