THIEVES are targeting the borough's Victorian postboxes so they can sell them overseas.

In just two weeks, four boxes have been stolen, leaving customers who had posted letters fuming.

The spate of thefts in Dartford constitutes a fifth of all boxes stolen across the country in the past eight months and north Kent police are appealing for information to stamp it out.

It is believed the thieves are not interested in the contents but the boxes themselves, which are worth around £300 and could be sold in America.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We take this very seriously because they have stolen our boxes and the post in it, which means people won't get their birthday cards, letters from loved ones or have their bills paid on time."

Thieves first struck in Priory Hill on July 14 but have also chiselled boxes out from the brickwork in Tile Kiln Lane and Birchwood Road on July 27 and July 28 and Puddledock Lane on August 4.

John Brown, 73, of Priory Gardens, was horrified to find a gaping hole in the wall instead of the box where he posted a letter hours before in Priory Hill.

He said: "My reaction was it had been stolen for the mail inside but a postman said it wasn't the contents they were after but the boxes themselves."

The other three were taken within a half-mile radius of one another and florist Steve Giles, 53, of Birchwood Road, said: "It seems such a weird thing to do and it's got to be the value of the boxes.

"The brickwork was in such a bad condition anyway they probably only had to sneeze for the wall to fall over."

The boxes will be replaced with modern equivalents.

Investigating the thefts, PC Wendy Horton said: "The offenders would have had a vehicle with them as the boxes would have been too heavy to carry full of undelivered post."

Anyone with information should call 01322 283111.