The Royal Mail has launched an investigation after two large bundles of undelivered letters were found dumped on a piece of Heaton waste ground.

In the latest in a string of embarrassing Royal Mail blunders in Bradford, the mail was discarded under a tree on land known as Miles Rough between Brantwood Avenue and Woodland Close in Heaton.

Eric McMellon was trimming a tree when he stumbled on more than 100 letters tied up in an elastic band on Sunday afternoon.

The 80-year-old retired National Coal Board manager, of Woodland Grove, said: "They were just dumped under a tree. One letter had 'open immediately, hospital admission' on the front so I posted it by hand to the nearby address.

"I tried calling the Post Office on Sunday but could not get through and the police suggested I take them to the Bradford Post Office depot or to the nearest police station. Most of the letters were dated about June 11.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "Some mail has been handed into the Bradford delivery office which was apparently found in Heaton. We take any incident like this extremely seriously, investigate it thoroughly and take whatever action is appropriate. The mail will be forwarded to customers with an explanation for the delay."

This is the latest incident where mail has been found abandoned in Bradford in the past few months.

Last month children found two large bundles of mail in Parker's Quarry, Heaton, all addressed to the Bradford 9 area and a sack containing more than 500 undelivered letters was found dumped beneath bushes by binmen on their rounds in Barkerend - destined for homes and businesses in the Heaton area.

Mail has also been found dumped in a pond in Peel Park, abandoned in bushes and left scattered in the street.

Royal Mail said the cases were under investigation but the company would not reveal the outcome of their probes.

A spokesman said: "If any action needed to be taken we would take it but we cannot discuss individual disciplinary cases.

"We would always deliver any mail which has been found to customers with a letter of explanation and an apology if it was appropriate."

e-mail: fiona.evans

@bradford.newsquest.co.uk