Meet the postman doing his rounds in fancy dress to cheer up families

Jon Matson, a postman who does his deliveries around the Boldon area, has started heading to work in fancy dress to make each day a bit brighter for the families he sees.

So far, Jon has dressed up as a cheerleader and Little Bo Peep in a bid to lift people’s spirits as they get to grips with new lockdown measures – and he’s promised there is much more to come in the days ahead.

The Boldon dad said: “Everyone is uncertain at the moment and you are the only person outside of the family that they see, so why not give them something to smile about.

“It’s really nice to see people come out to see me.”

Jon, who lives with partner Nila and teenage children Jay and Beau, takes part in the Boxing Day Dip in South Shields every year for charity Cancer Connections – so had a collection of costumes ready and waiting to be used.

He doesn’t want to give too much away about which outfits are coming next, and has instead asked the public to keep their eyes peeled for him coming down their street.

Zoe Grant, who lives on Jon’s postal route, was full of praise for his hard work and how much he has done to make everyone smile.

She said: “Jon is sending such a positive message to the residents that this virus is not all doom and gloom and even our key workers who are still out there doing their jobs to keep the nation running and saving lives can do it in good spirit and with a sense of pride and humour.

“I'm proud that Jon is my postman and I can’t wait to see his next costume.”

While Jon, 39, admitted he has a worry in the back of his mind about the risks of still going to work, he has thanked his lucky stars that he can stick to his normal routine and continue to see his much-loved customers on a regular basis.

He added: “Seeing everybody helps me keep my spirits up too."