Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Yorkie bars send posties packing

Mark Rowe
Saturday 12 April 1997 18:02 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Seventeen postmen from the same sorting office have won free holidays after a chocolate manufacturer produced too many winning tickets.

When postman Ian Draper bought his daily Yorkie bar for 30p on Friday night, he was unaware of quite where his sweet tooth was about to lead him.

Opening the wrapper, he found he had won a "Dirty Days Out" free adventure weekend riding on Sherman Tanks and playing war games with spray paint. Mr Draper, 33,bought a second Yorkie to celebrate. This was also a winner.

Suspecting he might be mining an unusually rich seam of chocolate, Mr Draper told a colleague with him to open a third bar, then a fourth, a fifth, a sixth and a seventh. All were winners.

It was clear to Mr Draper that all 36 bars in the box were likely to come with weekends away.

He rushed back to Worcester sorting office to deliver the good news that not only were there free holidays to be had for Postman Pat but there were also enough for his cat and all his mates, and returned to the store in Holt Heath, near Worcester, with orders for 22 bars for 16 other postmen.

Word spread quickly around the village and locals snapped up the remaining 14 winning bars.

Shop owner Mick Badgery, 42, said: "If all the postmen take the holiday at the same time there'll be no one left to sort the mail."

Nestle, who make Yorkie Bars, were offering 250 holidays in the nationwide promotion which runs till the end of the year.

Nestle spokeswoman Hilary Parsons said: "The machine that made the winning bars inadvertently made a few too many. It was a few minutes in the factory before anyone realised what had happened.

''We've already had reports of another winning batch at a vending machine at a college in Northampton.

"We have no idea how many more extra tickets there are but we will honour all those that are found. It will cost us a bit but it's good news for Yorkie fans."

Mr Draper was unavailable for comment yesterday - he was away on holiday.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in