Furious residents of a UK town have demanded a police manhunt to catch whoever is painting its postboxes green.
West Yorkshire Police have launched an investigation after residents complained about “vandalism of the Queen's property” in several locations across Huddersfield in recent days.
Police were called in on Saturday after several postboxes were given an unwanted lick of paint in the Fenay Bridge/Lepton area. Then on Sunday, the mystery deepened as another was spotted around 7km away on the Marsh/Edgerton border.
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The conundrum has both angered and baffled residents. At first there was speculation that it may have been a stunt by a Green Party supporter ahead of the Council elections.
But local Green party councillor Andrew Cooper stated: "Nothing to do with us and not the sort of thing the Green Party would do."
Residents are now suspecting a possible link to Ireland, Yorkshire Live reports.
Postboxes in Ireland were originally red and seen as a symbol of British rule, but were painted over in green when the country gained its independence.
Kirklees councillor Bernard McGuin, who has an Irish background, joked that it could be “a Sinn Fein propaganda stunt” after the party's success in the NI Assembly Elections.
"I am astonished by what has happened but it seems that someone involved in Sinn Fein could be involved here.
“Residents consider what has been done as vandalism. Hopefully the boxes will be returned to the red of tradition. I hope we have an answer from Royal Mail about what is going on. As a dour Yorkshire Conservative, I miss the red ones,” he said.
Enraged locals are demanding a police manhunt to catch the culprit.
Margaret Hardy, 79, who has lived in the Edgerton suburb for more than 40 years said: "Edgerton is a conservation area so we take any kind of 'tradition-baiting' extremely seriously here. I just hope the police are doing their best to find the culprit.”
Zena Walker, who turned up for work at a hardware store on Thursday to find the postbox next to it painted green, said: "It must have been done at some point when I left here on Wednesday at 4.30pm and when I came in at 8am on Thursday.
"I immediately reported it to the police as it is vandalism of the Queen's property. I was given a crime reference number and I want it repainted in its proper colour as soon as possible.
“On Thursday, it was the talk of the shop with people asking what had happened."
A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We do not know who repainted these postboxes, and are reporting this matter to the police. We will be repainting the boxes in the iconic red as soon as possible."
Both Sinn Fein and West Yorkshire Police have been contacted for comment.
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