A POSTMAN is spreading cheer through the streets of Penrith by dressing up as a bright red postbox.

Simon Richardson, 40, has gained internet fame after a video was shared of him going about his daily rounds dressed as a postbox.

It was his way of giving people a laugh during what is a difficult time for many.

Simon, from Penrith, said: “The main thing was with what is going on at the moment.

“On my rounds, I see a lot of people, I think a lot of people stay indoors and watch the news - it’s always negative.

“That was the main reason, just to try and cheer people up.”

He was inspired by another postman over in Sunderland who was dressing up in fancy dress to do his rounds.

After making sure his managers were okay with him doing this, Simon popped on his postbox outfit and set off on his rounds in the Carleton area on Friday.

His actions got the reaction he had hoped for, people were thrilled to see something so different on the streets.

“It’s nice to see older people coming up taking photos of you and little kiddies looking out the window, banging on the window wanting you to wave at them which is nice,” he said.

“It’s brilliant, at one point I was getting a bit overwhelmed.”

Charlotte Woollerton filmed the video that has surpassed 3000 views on social media.

It brought so much joy to the people on her street that she had to share it - people were clapping and cheering.

She said: “It just made me smile, he’s such a lovely man, he’s always got a smile on his face and he’s really chatty.

“He’s out there and about working so hard in the community for everybody because obviously he is a key worker.

“There’s such horrible stuff going on all over that it just puts a smile on your face and for all the little kids to see, it’s nice for them to look out the window and see something funny that is going on outside in the world rather than being stuck indoors.

“It was just fantastic really.”

For some people, seeing their local postman each day is a way to interact with the outside world, particularly now when it is much more difficult to get out and about.

“There’s a lot of people who can’t get out, and some people don’t see anybody from day to day and the postman is maybe the only person they see,” said Charlotte.

“They are the ones who are going to every single house and putting themselves at risk.

“It’s just nice to see someone smiling and happy going about their job when there is a lot of bad going on.”

As with everything, the role of the postman has undergone changes to adapt to the government guidelines on social distancing.

“We have got to keep our distance from people so what you do is when you have parcels you knock on people’s doors and step away,” said Simon.

“It’s like anything, you just get used to it.”

He has been a postman in the Carleton area for 19 years, in that time he has come to know and befriend the people in his community.

It’s a job that he enjoys and he has a lot of respect for all of the key workers who are continuing to work during the Covid-19 outbreak.

“It’s nice as you obviously get to know people and I’ve known them for years.”