A VILLAGE postman has lost his legal battle with the Royal Mail over his job after he had to stop using his bicycle.

William Blight claimed he had been forced into giving up his rounds in Corfe Castle after being told to use a trolley or a car, instead of his favoured two wheels, and took his fight to an employment tribunal.

He claimed constructive dismissal but his employers said they had done all they could to accommodate him and a judge found in their favour.

Mr Blight had been a postman at the Purbeck village for 14 years until he took 11 months off sick due to the row.

The postal service had asked him to stop using his bike as part of a national change to using trolleys but he felt a trolley was unsuitable because of the tight pavements in Corfe Castle.

But Mr Blight grew more upset and claimed he had felt forced to give up working when they told him to use a van because his driving licence only covered him for automatic vehicles.