Pokémon Go gamer appeals to save Crouch Street East post box

Peter Glen branded the decision to remove the post box in Crouch Street East, Colchester, as an “act of cultural vandalism”.

The Royal Mail service at the entrance of the Balkerne Hill underpass is set to be cut this month as Essex County Council presses on with plans to build a new cycle lane.

A notice on the post box reads: “We’re permanently removing this post box from service because: new road layout.”

PokéStop - the post box in Crouch Street East, Colchester (Image: Peter Glen)

Mr Glen, of the Colchester and Beyond Pokémon Go group, said the post box is an “indispensable feature” of the game.

Pokémon Go uses mobile devices with GPS to locate and capture virtual creatures, called Pokémon, which appear as if they are in the player's real world location.

Read more: Pokemon Go developer answers call to remove Mistley hotspot from game

The enthusiast said: “This is no mere letterbox - it is also a PokéStop.

“For those not familiar with playing Pokémon Go, this letterbox is an indispensable feature where, daily, the thousands of Colcestrians who play the game collect essential items.

Appeal - a poster made to protest against the decision to remove the post box (Image: Peter Glen)

“The removal of this letterbox will lead to the deletion – nay, destruction – of an important feature of our game and is an act of cultural vandalism.

“To put it in perspective for non-players of Pokémon Go, it is akin to the wholesale removal of Castle Park from the map for the enjoyment of the community.

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“For Pikachu’s sake, let our PokéStop live.”

When contacted by the Gazette, a spokesman for Essex County Council said a decision has not been made on the future of the post box.

Cut - the post box will be removed this month (Image: Peter Glen)

He said: “[A decision] will not be made until the results of the recent call for public feedback have been reviewed.”

But a Royal Mail spokesman said the post box was being removed at County Hall’s request so the authority could build a cycle lane on the street.

“As the proposed alternative location for the post box was not viable and as there are already three other post boxes within easy walking distance, we took the decision to permanently remove this post box,” he added.

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