An Edinburgh post box located yards from one of the Capital’s largest hospitals has been dyed blue in a colourful new tribute to medics after a youngster’s petition to honour those who have lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic.
Local residents in Morningside posted images of the post box, near to the Royal Edinburgh Psychiatric Hospital, on social media - likening it to the tributes paid to Olympic athletes after the 2012 London Games.
It comes after schoolboy Rafferty Collis started a campaign to have a Royal Mail post box painted blue for each NHS worker who has died fighting coronavirus near the hospital they worked at or their family home.
The Morningside post box features the message ‘Thank you NHS ’ on the back and is the latest in a number to receive a makeover across the UK as the country honours those sacrificing their own health in treating the COVID-19 outbreak.
People reacted with likes and comments to one photo of the bright blue box, with one woman saying: "I think it looks smart and it will make people think about our great NHS."
And a local NHS worker said: "Brilliant, I will have to get my pic taken next to it before I start my shift."
A post box outside the Trafford General Hospital in Manchester - thought to be the first to join the national health service when it was established in 1948 - has also been tinted blue, along with those near St Thomas’ in London and Falls Road in Belfast.
In 2012, the Royal Mail painted 110 post boxes gold across the UK to celebrate Britain’s success at the Games.
The Capital is home to two Olympic gold boxes honouring cycling star Sir Chris Hoy.
The colourful tributes, located on Hanover Street and Hunter Square, were repainted in honour of his double gold win in the men’s keirin and team sprint events at the games.
Tennis champion Andy Murray and rowers Katherine Grainger and Heather Stanning also received gold boxes in their home towns of Dunblane, Aberdeen and Lossiemouth respectively after their Olympic victories.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed on Wednesday that six of the 2,272 people to have died as a result of the virus were NHS workers.
A further five social care staff have also lost their lives during the pandemic.
Edinburgh Live has contacted Royal Mail for comment.
