Postbox painted gold in Swansea to mark Ellie Simmonds' winning ways

ELLIE Simmonds has struck gold again with a second Royal Mail postbox transformed to mark her winning ways.

The teenage swimming sensation clinched a second gold medal in the pool yesterday to equal her 2008 Beijing Olympics haul.

A postbox was promptly painted gold in her native Aldridge, Walsall, to mark her achievement on Monday.

The Royal Mail did the same in Swansea yesterday to the delight of the teenage golden girl who trains in the city at the Wales National Pool.

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Stamps to commemorate her wins in the Women's 400m Freestyle -S6 final and the Women's 200m Individual Medley SM6 final have also been issued.

Yesterday's very public accolade is a roadside postbox in the marina quarter on the way to her training pool and close to where she lives.

"It means she will drive by it twice a day because there is only one way in and out of the marina," said Val Bodden, a Royal Mail spokeswoman.

"We did the first one in Aldridge, where she grew up and she chose the one here because she trains in Swansea at the Wales National Pool."

She also revealed the pains that Royal Mail takes to ensure that transformed postboxes are relevant to each winning athlete.

"She asked for this particular postbox which is quite near to where she trains," said Mrs Bodden.

"We've got our own map of where all Royal Mail postboxes are situated, we then looked it up on Google Maps and showed her an image of the box."

She added: "The boxes themselves are repainted every three years and this one will be looked after and maintained like all the rest."

She said such postboxes often become symbols of community pride and the public was quick to report isolated incidents such as graffiti attacks.

In Swansea, pupils at Olchfa Comprehensive School, where Ellie is a sixth former, returned yesterday after the summer holiday break.

As was the case four years ago, the exploits of their celebrated classmate and pupil were being closely watched over the course of the Paralympics. The school is expected to hold a special celebration of its own once she returns.