A SUCCESSFUL call to the community to 'paint the town red' for the Queen's 90th Birthday has seen Bicester postboxes given a new lease of life.

In a bid to follow in the footsteps of many communities across the country who took part in Clean for the Queen, Oxfordshire County Councillor for Bicester West Les Sibley urged residents to help clean up the town's postboxes.

He said the "iconic" red boxes carrying Her Majesty's initials were falling into a "drab state" and should be brightened up.

Just two days after asking communities to help clean up areas around the postboxes, several had been given a fresh lick of paint.

Mr Sibley said: "I was surprised to see the postboxes had been painted within a matter of hours of the newspaper's story.

"They were putting wet paint signs up after painting the postboxes the following day.

"Credit where credit is due to the Royal Mail, it was a very speedy and fantastic response.

"Her Majesty would be well and truly pleased."

The idea came about after the county councillor and Bicester Town councillor wondered if the Clean for the Queen initiative could be taken one step further in Bicester.

After pounding the streets he found many of the town's postboxes had become tired, graffitied and some areas around them overgrown.

The worst offenders Mr Sibley found included Villiers Road, Byron Way, Kings Avenue and Kingsley Road.

Since the story featured in this newspaper, several postboxes have been spruced and left sparkling including Blenheim Drive, Waveney Close, Byron Way and Bucknell Road.

Mr Sibley said a community clean-up would be perfect to brighten them up and make them "fit for a Queen".

It was hoped, with permission from the Royal Mail, communities can clean up and cut back the areas around the post boxes.

He said: "People have stopped me to say they think it is great and the postmen going round have been giving me the thumbs up.

"It is great the Royal Mail have acted in double quick time, there is a few more to go but if it leads to the rest of the town, and even the county's postboxes that would be great.

"If Her Majesty intends to visit Bicester I am sure she will be very pleased and even better if we can mark her birthday by painting the initials gold – it would be the icing on the cake."