A 12-year-old former cancer patient who received millions of get-well cards and a place in the Guinness Book of Records is now begging well-wishers to stop sending him letters.
Craig Shergold and his family, who live in southern England, are struggling to wade through the seemingly endless deluge of greetings, sent in response to a chain letter circulating worldwide that appeals on his behalf for more mail.In February, the last period for which the Royal Mail has figures, the boy received about 60,000 cards and letters a week.
The letters started arriving after Shergold appealed for get-well cards in an attempt to establish a new world record while recovering from a cancer operation.
By May 1991, Shergold had received 33 million get-well cards, beating the previous record of 205,120 Christmas cards received by a Canadian, according to the 1992 Guinness Book of Records.
But even though a record has been set, the mail has not stopped.
"Please don't. Thank you for sending them but no thanks, we don't want no more," Shergold said.
A spokesman for the Royal Mail said the postal service sympathized with the family's predicament but pointed out it was obliged to deliver all mail.