A postman who stole cash and phone cards from letters and failed to deliver more than 3,000 items of mail has been spared a jail sentence.

Philip Wallwork, 28, said he could not cope with the workload and stored mail sacks in his bedroom before dumping them in a tip and an old milk float.

Lewes Crown Court heard he started to steal on his first day at work last November and dumped some of the mail, which had piled up in his home during the Christmas run-up when his landlady said she wanted access to spring clean.

Some of the mail was left at Pebsham tip, Bexhill, and more in the old milk float.

Wallwork, of Martyns Way, Bexhill, came unstuck in January when a refuse worker spotted two mail pouches at the tip and staff alerted the Post Office.

The court heard Wallwork had 2,453 letters stashed in his bedroom and 694 items in his van, a total of 3,147 items, not taking into account unrecovered mail.

Wallwork, now a pesticide sprayer, also admitted opening some of the post and stealing about £70 from greetings cards, as well as taking mobile phone top-up cards.

Main streets affected were London Road and Clifford Road in Bexhill but post also failed to arrive in other parts of the town stretching from Little Common to Pebsham and Sidley.

Felicia Davy, prosecuting, said: "The tip worker took one of the pouches to his boss who found three sealed items in it.

"He took it to the Post Office who found Mr Wallwork had been responsible for the delivery of those letters.

"The other pouch was unfortunately bulldozed into landfill.

"When questioned, he admitted he hadn't been delivering all of his mail.

"He said he had been delivering about 20 pieces a day and taking the rest home.

"He said he took some postal packages to the tip as the landlady was spring cleaning and had put others in an unused milk float behind his house. He said there were a few hundred items in total, most of which were mis-sorts or post delivered to people who had moved.

"He said there were other bags in his van and more pouches at home. Police recovered phone cards and a cash card, which had not been used, from his pocket.

"He confirmed they had been stolen from postal packages he was due to deliver.

"He said he had opened greetings cards looking for money.

"Mr Wallwork said he felt sick, gutted and stupid at what he'd done."

Mark Glendenning, defending, told the court that his client "simply couldn't cope" with the workload and the pressures that had come with the job.

Wallwork was spared jail by Judge Guy Anthony but was ordered to serve a 240-hour community punishment order and ordered to pay £543.75 prosecution costs.