Upset that he was not getting paid enough, a 33-year-old postman from the northern Italian city of Turin kept 400kg of undelivered mail in his home for three years.

The stash was only discovered when the man, who was not named, was stopped by police during a routine road check, reported Italian newspaper The Local.

He was found in possession of a 20cm-long folding knife, and while looking in the back seat of his car, police officers came across the unusual sight of about 70 letters.

Police then searched his home, where they found a further 40 boxes of undelivered mail, including bank statements and bills.

He quit his job last year (2017), explaining to the police that he did not deliver any mail for three years because his salary was too low.

"I wasn't paid enough and so I quit," the man reportedly said.

According to media reports, he now faces charges of theft, misappropriation of correspondence and for carrying a weapon.

The case comes just months after Italian police were said to have uncovered the largest pile of undelivered mail in the country.

In January, a 56-year-old postman from the northern town of Vicenza was arrested after police found about 500kg of mail dating back to 2010 stashed away in his garage.