A YORK police worker has taken a stand against nuisance mail after she received 20 letters asking for cash in just one week.

Civilian worker Andrea Davis, who is based at York police headquarters, has been deluged with competition notices, parcel delivery letters and foreign lottery mail shots.

Among the letters are three from WWD Transport and Delivery International which gives an anonymous mailbox address in Clifford Street as its "UK processing centre".

Trading standards officers in the city confirmed today they are investigating their letters, which ask for a £14.95 fee to secure delivery of a prize parcel.

Mrs Davis, who has worked for North Yorkshire Police for two years, said she has created a special file of unsolicited mail for other officers to use as a reference.

She said: "At the police inquiry desk, two or three people come in every week who have lost money through unwanted letters. That's why I thought I should do something about it. So many of these letters are related, by the same mailbox address or company title, but they all look completely different.

"I've been going cross-eyed reading the small print to see if any of these letters offer a genuine good deal, but sadly they very rarely do."

The WWD Transport letter requests £14.95 within 14 days of receiving the letter so that a prize parcel can be delivered. But close reading reveals that the parcel is in fact an envelope containing money-off vouchers. Retired bus driver John Hurn, of Thorpe Willoughby, near Selby, said he was perplexed by a "delivery notification" from the York-based company, because he was not expecting any parcels.

He said: "It certainly looks very impressive, but when you open it up you see all the small print. I'm a pensioner and £14.95 is a lot of money to lose. I'm worried that other people might be tempted."

Matthew Boxall, of York Trading Standards, said officers were investigating several inquiries from residents about WWD Transport and Delivery International. He said investigators would like anyone who has sent money to the company to contact them and tell them what they received in return.

"Our advice is if you cannot afford to lose the money then don't send it away," he said. "People must make sure they read the small print and be aware that 'too good to be true' offers usually are."

The Evening Press called at Mail Boxes Etc, in Clifford Street, which WWD Transport gives as its only address, to try to reach the company owners, but a member of staff said the details were confidential.

Updated: 10:47 Tuesday, August 17, 2004