Royal Mail worker shares what it means when they write 'P' on your letters

Royal Mail are the unsung heroes of last-minute deliveries, crossing the UK no matter the weather, rain or shine.

The iconic red vans, more often than not, seem to deliver the goods when it counts.

But have you ever noticed when postie's write 'P' on your letters?

Along with all the stamps and numbering, it does make you wonder if they are speaking in a secret code.

Their red vans are everywhere. (Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)

But before conspiracy theories get out of hand, the actual reason has since been unearthed by a supposed Royal Mail worker who took to Reddit to explain what's going on.

On the forum, one person asked: "Can anybody tell me why all my letters the last few days have had a 'P' symbol written on them?"

Many others on the platform were as equally as confused, but thankfully the Royal Mail's posties were, yet again, on hand to deliver the goods.

It turns out that there is a very simple (and practical) explanation for the letter.

Ever wondered what a 'P' written on your letter means? (Reddit)

The 'P' stands for parcel and is a useful way for postmen to remember there's also a parcel for the address, saving another trip back later in the day.

“It's the postie's way of reminding themselves that when they come to post your letter there's also a parcel for you," one person wrote.

"It means Parcel. For either yourself or the next delivery.It’s a reminder for the postman / postwoman," a second added.

"That's so they don't post your letter then find out halfway down the street they forgot to knock and give you your parcel," a third person joked, while another person added that a code such as 'P10' would mean there's a parcel for the house next door (number 10) but no letter.

Someone else said: "For what it's worth, this goes similarly for various delivery drivers to companies like Hermes. I know they can get a lot of s**t, but it's very driver dependent and some put a lot of work into it."

Now, it seems posties can sometimes get quite creative with their annotations as well, as one Redditor revealed they'd once had a completely unrelated shopping list written on the back of their mail.

"I've delivered all sorts of letters with stuff on the back. Reminders, Tracey telling Dave her pin code. Shopping lists etc etc," another person replied to the comment, confirming that letter doodles aren't something out of the ordinary for postmen.

"Don't assume it's the postie."

Mystery solved!