A CROOKED postie was captured on CCTV - installed by a local photographer - tearing open the mail he had been trusted to deliver.

The amazing video footage clearly showed Royal Mail postman Anthony Rose, 33, of Parkgate Road, Macclesfield, hide out of sight from passing pedestrians on Mill Street in Palace Yard - a courtyard situated off the busy high street that leads to Brian Ollier's photographic studio.

Rose is seen to stop and drop his postbag on the floor and use both of his hands - and even his teeth - to rip open the five packets and handle the contents - passport-sized photographs and £10 notes. He was then seen to put something in one of his pockets and to discard the torn envelopes.

Brian, 58, a former Macclesfield Express snapper, could not believe it when he came across the crucial evidence while playing around with his two-week old security equipment.

He hurried outside to inspect the bin and soon uncovered the packets which were all addressed to a business that sells identity cards.

"At first I had thought that he was opening his wages," Brian said. "Then he opened another and another and another one - it soon became pretty obvious that he was opening up somebody else's mail."

"The only reason I am really miffed about this is the guy is attempting to steal mail and it is just wrong and disappointing. And we rely on the post - my parents both missed hospital appointments when their post didn't arrive."

"I am fed up with people thieving, it drives me bananas."

This week Rose appeared before the town's magistrates who heard that he had opened the mail because he had been "curious" to find out what was inside.

Rose admitted five counts of attempted theft and was given a community punishment order of 210 hours of unpaid work and told to pay £500 in costs.

Kim Neal, prosecuting on behalf of the Royal Mail, said: "Mr Ollier had been testing out the new CCTV system he had just purchased and installed when he came across images of the defendant opening mail, removing items and placing something into one of his pockets."

"He was then seen to walk over to the bin and drop something in there too. Mr Ollier went out and recovered five Royal Mail envelopes."

"The Royal Mail can track where post originated and they traced one of those individuals. One of them contained a passport-sized photgraph and £10. He claimed that he had not stolen anything."

Ruth Oakes, defending, said: "Can I ask you to please read the reports, which is very thorough and suggests that my client is given a community based penalty and indicate whether you are likely to follow those suggestions."

This is not the first time that Brian has used CCTV to help capture crooks, including thieves who stole £30,000-worth of shoes from Rose Shoes and robbers who broke into a building society.

The Royal Mail, which has been criticised lately for delivering post later during the day, and is the subject of an exposé to be aired on television this week, declined to comment on the case.