Christmas – or a little bit of it – arrived late for Wellington woman Janet Collins when she received a card last week from one of her sons after it had been on a 24,000-mile round trip.

The card from surgeon Declan Collins and his family was posted in North London before the holiday but instead of arriving in Alexandra Road, Wellington, Somerset, it turned up at an identical address in Wellington, New Zealand.

The householders in New Zealand returned the card unopened in another envelope and enclosed a note and photos of the city.

The note said: “Sorry I’m late! I was accidentally sent on an impromptu holiday to Wellington, New Zealand. While I was there I took in some of the sites. Enjoy!”

Janet said: “It was just an extraordinary coincidence and terribly sweet of them to send it on.”

She added that the card was clearly addressed to Wellington, Somerset, and included a post code.