A POSTWOMAN injured herself after being forced to deliver mail, days after undergoing invasive keyhole surgery, a tribunal heard.

Royal Mail worker Pauline McCallion, from Southport, suffered an internal rupture and had to have one of her Fallopian tubes removed after she was placed on full delivery duties immediately after returning to work.

The hearing in Liverpool heard she was made to lift mailbags weighing up to 16kgs.

Ms McCallion, who is suing Royal Mail for constructive unfair dismissal, told the tribunal that bosses had ignored concerns of her physical wellbeing.

She was taken to hospital with acute abdominal pain three days after returning to work.

Ms McCallion was based at the town’s Wight Moss delivery office and had returned to work on November 6, 2008 – thirteen days after keyhole surgery as part of an IVF treatment.

Giving evidence at the hearing, she said: “During the delivery, I felt strained, found it difficult and was struggling.

“My only thoughts were that there was no way I could do a full delivery and how I wanted to complete the delivery to return to the safety of the office. I was still taking painkillers at this time.

“Delivery bags are to weigh no more than 16kgs, and delivery entails a lot of bending, depending on where letterboxes are placed.”