A POSTAL worker has described finding used tissues and discarded facemasks when emptying a postbox in south Belfast.
The postman, who commented as he published the image anonymously online, claimed he found the items while accessing mail.
He described what he found as "wrong on every level".
"I'm a postie and whilst clearing one of our mail boxes I opened it to find used masks and tissues posted into it," he said.
"Along with other services we've kept delivering throughout the pandemic. This is wrong on every level".
Last month, Royal Mail workers were described as "an incredibly important lifeline to us all, especially to the vulnerable, the lonely, and those who have to self-isolate", and praised for their "extraordinary dedication", having delivered a record number of parcels including PPE for medical staff and Covid-19 test kits.
SDLP MP Claire Hanna said the posting of such items in post boxes was "selfish and disgusting".
"For most people the pandemic has underlined a sense of community and interdependence, taking steps to protect not just yourself, but those around you - dumping materials like this flies in the face of that," said the South Belfast representative.
"It’s also wasteful and bad for the environment.
"In pandemic times and otherwise, people shouldn’t treat the public realm like a bin and other people so dismissively."
She added: "I'm really sorry this postal worker had such an unpleasant experience while doing their work, just because someone else is acting like a spoilt kid."