A RARE Victorian post box hit by a car in Malvern will be returned to its rightful place - once it has been repaired.

We reported last week how the post box was missing from Worcester Road in Malvern near Malvern Community Hospital. However, Malvern's Victorian post box will be back says Royal Mail - after it gets some repairs. 

People in the town said the rare Victorian postbox was damaged when it was hit by a car which has now been confirmed by Royal Mail. 

A spokesperson for Royal Mail said: "The post box was hit by a car and taken out of the ground. It is currently having some maintenance work carried out before it's placed back in its usual place."

The Mayor of Malvern, Cllr Clive Hooper, welcomed the revelation by Royal Mail that the post box would be returned.

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He said: "I'm delighted to hear that Royal Mail have the letterbox, that the repairs are being carried out to restore it. We hope it will be back in its original place very soon."

Cllr Hooper described the post box as 'iconic' and a 'listed item'. "So it does need to go back," he said.

The Mayor has also written to Malvern Hills District Council expressing the hope that the post box is returned.

We previously reported how the post box had gone with only a patch of tarmac to indicate its original position.

Police tape was still visible caught in a hedge and people in the town say there was an crash in which the post box was damaged. 

Cllr Hooper said previously: "One hopes it is in a state in which it can be repaired. Malvern is very fortunate it has these early Victorian letterboxes. There is only one of this particular kind as far as I'm aware which has this fluted design. They are very rare and part of our heritage."

Mr Hooper, also vice-president of Malvern Civic Society and a former chairman, said the civic society had completed a survey of the boxes in 2008 and that some dated back to 1860.

The report by the civic society said most postboxes were introduced into the United Kingdom in 1852 at the suggestion of Anthony Trollope the famous author, then a surveyor's clerk. It reads: "None of the very early boxes survives in Malvern but we do have three Victorian fluted boxes, which date from about 1860 and several Victorian wall boxes.

"Many famous Victorians and Edwardians lived in Malvern or came here to take the cure. It is fascinating to speculate how many letters from Darwin, Elgar, Bernard Shaw, Florence Nightingale and many others started their journey in a Malvern post box. Although we have attempted to record all the interesting post."