A disgraced former postman and father-of-four who stole mail from Wolverhampton residents for four months could be jailed.

Alan Matthews, aged 32, who worked at the Wolverhampton delivery office, committed a severe breach of trust by opening mail and taking valuables between May and September last year.

Matthews pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of a mail bag or postal packet and one of delaying or opening a mail bag or postal packet at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court yesterday.

The court heard he kept goods worth around £1,000 and stole £150 in cash from greetings cards. Mr John Dove, prosecuting, said among the items recovered from Matthews’ home in Coleman Street, Whitmore Reans, were a watch worth £450, an MP4 music player and two mobile phones.

The thefts came to light after residents living in the Southbank development in Horseley Fields, for which Matthews was the due course delivery officer, made numerous complaints about not receiving their mail.

Mr Dove said: “He had been employed at Wolverhampton delivery office for nearly six and a half years until his suspension on September 7 last year. In May, he became due course delivery officer for Southbank.”

After the complaints, a specially prepared fake package with an incomplete address was included with the mail on his round, which should have been returned to the depot, but was not. After this, surveillance of Matthews began.

A marked £1 coin was recovered from a burger van in Commercial Row where he was observed paying for food. In interview he said he had been stealing for around four months.

Mr Martin McNamara, for Matthews, said of his client, whose children are all under seven: “He accepts he foolishly got involved in this matter to supplement the family income.”

District judge Morris Cooper committed Matthews to be sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on March 7, saying the powers of the magistrates court may not be far-reaching enough if a custodial sentence was warranted.

By Nick Pritchard