Posted By Jason911 I don't have a risk assessment claire but the following was being advised on the news this morning if it helps. 1.All packages have been in a similar A5 envelope. 2. They are normally addressed to a title such as the manager rather than a named person. 3. Postage stamps are normally excessive as they cannot risk getting them weighed. 4. Look out for oil leaks on the envelope. 5. The address will be written in full including postcode to ensure delivery. Hope this helps. Jay

Posted By Keith Oakes Claire, Like the answer above I do not have a risk assessment. Previously in the military we were constantly on guard for letter bombs dependant on the level of threat at the time. I was racking my brains trying to remember the controls and type of things we would look for on received mail and low and behold a certain newspaper has printed them. The following controls may be of use to you if you go ahead. Ask yourself the question - For mail read letter, package, delivery etc. How did this mail get to me, was it a normal delivery, was it expected or did it come out of the blue? Where did it comer from? Check the postmark - unfamiliar places. Check the date stamp. Has the mail taken too long to get to me from it's original destination. Does the mail look as if it has been opened, if it is a type of mail you receive regularly, is the package normal? Does it have stains on the outside? (many explosives are oily and if not properly packaged can leak through the wrapper). Does it have strange smell? (many explosives smell of marzipan or almonds). Does it feel unbalanced or lopsided? This is a real warning sign. Does anything rattle, move or shake inside the mail? Are there objects inside which you would not normally expect? Is the mail very securely sealed? (Too much tape or string can be a tell tale sign). Are there any wires, string or anything else observable through the flap or wrappings? Be very careful if you lift flaps to see if anything is inside. Not sure if this will help. Regards Keith

Posted By Rachael Palmer Claire, Google MI5, there's all sorts of security information on there about dealing with suspect packages etc.

Posted By Allan St.John Holt Of course Royal Mail has a procedure for dealing with suspicious packages! But they are largely for the protection of our employees of course. Apart from some issues I can't talk about, we only know there's a problem if it's obvious to someone handling it within the system. I have some information available in pdf format only,which may be of help to anyone wanting to check their own arrangements as a benchmark. If anyone would like a copy please email me direct. I will collect all requests and send out a response at the end of this afternoon. Don't forget you have to log in to the Forum before you can see my email address - I get quite enough email offers for stuff I don't need or care about as it is... Allan