It's been bound and gagged - is that any way to treat a friendly and long-serving letter box?

It's hard not to feel a pang of sympathy for this long-established pillar box outside St Andrew's Methodist Church on St Peter's Avenue.  Its body has been enveloped in black tape - perhaps because Royal Mail has a mind to decommission it ahead of possible demolition. The letter box  is not  ideally  located because it is adjacent to a bus stop on a busy road that is quite often congested. Even so, say hello and pat it on the head when you pass it by - it has always been a good friend to Cleethorpes.