Police have found 13,000 undelivered letters and packages at a house in Eelde in Groningen.

The house was lived in by a 25-year-old woman who had worked for a postal delivery subcontractor since 2012. The post was all destined for people in Eelde and nearby Paterswolde, police said.

The police became involved after a local made a formal complaint about the non-arrival of an important item. The delivery firm launched an internal inquiry which led to the young woman.

According to the police statement, the woman had felt snowed under in the job and could no longer function. Instead, she stored the mail in 60 sacks at her home.

The delivery firm is now in the process of sending on three years worth of mail to its rightful owners.