The mystery of missing post-box toppers in St Albans has been solved, after people in the community rummaged through bins to find them.
The St Albans Postboxes team reported two toppers had gone missing on Christmas Day - both of which were found on Boxing Day.
All the toppers are made by volunteers in order to raise money for the St Albans Action For Homeless (SAAH) and St Albans Community Food Pantry - which is run by Sopwell Community Trust.
Barbara Mortimer, who found the missing penguin topper, had to sift through rubbish to find it, mend it and put it back up. 
She said: "There was a bit of dirt and damage but it's mostly OK - I don't want to talk about what I had to dig through in the bin."
Another resident, Stephen Jenkins, also found a snow globe topper stuffed in a bin and returned it to the St Albans Postboxes headquarters.
The toppers have been so popular that multiple visitors from far and wide have driven hours to see them.
A father from Dorset, Mark, travelled to St Albans with his two sons to see the themed decorations.
Mark said: "My children and I have enjoyed doing your postbox trail. We drove from Dorset and visited all 60 postboxes.
"Zac, Dexter and I were really impressed with all the hard work - thank you."
St Albans postman Michael Walsh also treasures the toppers and continued his tradition of visiting the postboxes.
Michael said: "All the posties love working in December in St Albans, we can't help but smile when we see a woolly hatted postbox!" 
St Albans Community Pantry's co-chair Raihaanah Ahmed also appreciated the funds that came from the post-box toppers and said: "We are a team of almost 50 people, every single one unpaid.
“We use every penny towards food, fitness sessions and fuel help.We purchase fresh fruit and vegetables every week from a local supplier to ensure each box contains fresh food items. 
"In 2020 our weekly spend was £65 and in 2022 it is now £200 to support 600 people.
"We have a rising cost of food plus an increase in demand for our service. We couldn’t do this if it wasn’t for the generosity of folk in St Albans, and the St Albans Postboxes' donations are crucial for our work in 2023."
Clare Suttie, a St Albans Postboxes volunteer, said: "This does happen every year; and is very upsetting for the makers in particular.
"We try to focus on all the enjoyment the toppers bring, as well as the amazing donations for our local charities.
"The toppers are full of glue, wire, staples and other nasties - so they are certainly not toys. Their only mission is to sit on top of a postbox for the month of December, to be admired and raise funds."
Two of the toppers are still missing, so anyone who finds them can get in touch via the St Albans Postboxes website.
To know more about the St Albans Postboxes, go to: https://stalbanspostboxes.org.uk
To donate to charities they support, go to: https://tinyurl.com/yeyjkd53
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