A former postman from Beckenham took more than 1,500 letters home instead of delivering them because he was stressed, a court heard.

Sam Kenton, 23, was given a 12 month conditional discharge at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Thursday (March 26) after pleading guilty to intentionally delaying post.

Kenton, of Eresby Drive, Beckenham, was prosecuted by the Royal Mail after 1,568 post items were found in a sack in his bedroom.

The postman had worked for Royal Mail for two years before suspicions were aroused when a colleague spotted post out of place in his van.

They then began investigating Kenton, placing 'test packets' of post into his mail bag. He was then cautioned and consented to a search of his home which he shares with his parents.

The haul of post, which included Mother's Day cards, test results from Lewisham Hospital, birthday cards and a camera case from Amazon, were all found in a single sack.

The post dates ranged from May 23 to September 10 2014.

Eleven of them were open, but Kenton maintained this was done in transit and not on purpose.

Prosecutor Natalie McNamee said: "He admitted taking mail home, taking a little bit every day.

"His intention had been to take some back and deliver it the next day.

"It was never his intention to have it longer than a week, but he accepted some mail was from some months ago."

MORE TOP STORIES The court heard how the postman worked in the Anerley office before being transferred to Catford, when problems arose.

His probation officer said: "He was given different routes to undertake each day that he found was making his job increasingly difficult.

"He spoke to management and his union representative but he didn’t get a sufficient response.

"He found he couldn’t complete his deliveries during the day and he had to return mail to the office.

"[His] manager suspended him for four days.

"This caused him a great deal of concern and upon his return he was told he would just have to try harder."

The postman, who has a conviction for driving without due care and attention, maintained his actions were never for financial gain.

Kenton, who has resigned, was ordered to pay £1,000 of Royal Mail's £5,032 investigation costs plus a £15 victim surcharge.