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A special Dog Awareness Week postmark will be applied to all stamped items this week. On average, there are around 47 attacks taking place each week across the UK, with some leading to a permanent injury. The number of dog attacks on posties increases during the summer holidays, when children and parents are at home and dogs are more likely to be out in the garden. Indeed, in the last year, 883 (35 percent) of dog attacks on postal workers happened at the front door or in the garden. Telford and Uxbridge are the most dangerous areas to deliver the post with attacks by dogs respectively quadrupling and trebling.
Dr Shaun Davis, the health and safety boss at the Royal Mail Group, said: “The issue of dog attacks remains a real concern for us all at Royal Mail – a business that values its people enormously.
“The number of attacks still remains unacceptably high – over a six-day working week – this top line figure equates to seven attacks per day. Dog owners need to be even more vigilant.”
Tina O’Toole had been a postwoman for three years in Warrington when she was attacked by a dog and bitten on her leg.
She remembered: “On the day of the attack I presumed the customers were out with the dog. Once I had delivered the mail I turned to leave when I heard the dog barking and running up behind me. As I was attempting to get through the gate I felt pain to my right calf.
“I managed to get through the gate and close it behind me. I then went into shock and looked down at my leg to see the blood seeping through my trousers – it would have been much worse if I was wearing shorts.
“I’ve been off work now for five weeks and I’m just about to return.”
The ten most dangerous areas for posties were Brighton, Belfast, Sheffield, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Guildford, Redhill, Birmingham, Leeds and Peterborough.
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