Royal Mail cautions customers it may ‘suspend deliveries to your address’

People are being urged to take action now to avoid potential disruptions to their mail service

Royal Mail has appealed to customers, warning that failure to comply could result in the company having to “suspend deliveries to your address.” And all it could take is a simple four-word sign on your front door.

According to figures published on the Royal Mail website, dog attacks on postal workers increased by 2% over the past year, reaching a total of 2,197 incidents. This equates to approximately 42 attacks every week nationwide, with some postal workers sustaining permanent or life-changing injuries.

To address this issue, Royal Mail is encouraging simple measures that can protect staff whilst ensuring an uninterrupted delivery service. One straightforward solution is a four-word postcard that reads “I have a dog.”

This printable postcard alerts the delivery person to wait while you secure your pet, giving you time to place them in another room. Postal workers will wait patiently for you to answer the door.

In correspondence sent to customers, Royal Mail acknowledged that whilst “receiving your letters and parcels” is important, its priority is “to get these items to you safely, and I’m hoping that you can help me with that.”

The letter highlighted a sobering statistic: “Around 2,000 posties like me are injured by dogs each year, both big and small. When this happens, we must inform the Police and suspend deliveries to your address, as we can’t take the chance that the dog may attack again.”

Requesting public support, Royal Mail has highlighted the following key information:

• Please don’t open the door until your dog is safely secured
• Please put them in another room or behind a gate first and don’t worry, I will wait!
• Close gates and doors to stop your dog getting loose.
• If you have a back or side garden, please make sure your dog can’t get out and gates and doors are closed
• Install a letter box cage as sometimes dogs attack or snatch mail from the letterbox and this can cause serious injuries to postie’s hands, including amputation of fingers, as well as causing injuries to the dog.
• Provide an alternative delivery point if you are struggling to do any of the above

High-risk areas in the UK

These are the top postcode areas for dog attacks on postal workers.

1stThe S (Sheffield) postcode area experienced a concerning 61% increase in dog attacks on Royal Mail postal workers this year, in stark contrast to an 18% decrease the previous year. A total of 66 attacks were reported in 2024/25, up from 41 in 2023/24. Notably, the S postcode area has consistently appeared on every high-risk list for dog attacks since postcode-specific data began being reported. This is the fourth time it has been the most dangerous location for dog attacks.

2nd Dog attacks in the PO (Portsmouth) were marginally down on last year – with 60 attacks compared to 62 for 2023/24 – equating to a 3% drop. The postcode area came joint top of dangerous locations for dog attacks last year. The PO postcode area has featured in the top, most high-risk areas for dog attacks for eight consecutive years and nine in total since Royal Mail began publishing attack figures.

3rd The TN (Kent/Sussex/Surrey) postcode area recorded a 33% increase in dog attacks on Royal Mail postal workers this year, following a 35% decrease in 2023/24. A total of 56 attacks were reported in the latest period, up from 42 the previous year. The TN postcode area has appeared on the list of most dangerous areas for dog attacks for 11 consecutive years and ranked as the most dangerous location for postal workers in 2023/24.

4th This is the second time the GU (Guildford) postcode area has featured on the high-risk list since 19/20. The 54 attacks reported this year show a 29% increase on last year’s 42 incidents. This is the sixth time the postcode area has appeared on the most dangerous locations list for dog attacks since Royal Mail began reporting postcode-specific figures.

5thThe NG (Nottingham) postcode saw 49 dog attacks on postal workers this year. This is a 17% increase on the 42 attacks in 2023/24. This is the fifth consecutive year that the NG postcode area has appeared in the list of most dangerous locations for dog attacks – last year it was the 6th most unsafe location in the UK for dog attacks on Royal Mail postal workers. The postcode area has featured in the high-risk locations nine times since Royal Mail began reporting postcode-specific figures.

6th The CM (Chelmsford) and BN (Brighton) postcode areas are the joint sixth highest-risk locations with 47 dog attacks on Royal Mail postal workers reported in each location.

The BN (Brighton) postcode area recorded 47 dog attacks on Royal Mail postal workers this year—a slight 2% decrease from the 48 incidents reported in 2023/24. This marks the ninth consecutive year the BN area has appeared on the high-risk list since Royal Mail began publishing location-specific data. It ranked fourth-highest in risk last year and was the most dangerous location for dog attacks in 2021.

The CM (Chelmsford) postcode area has appeared on the high-risk list for dog attacks on Royal Mail postal workers three times since location-specific data was first published. It was first listed in 2018/19, when 38 attacks were reported, and again in 2019/20 with 44 incidents.

7th The BT (Belfast) and NE (Newcastle) postcode areas are the seventh joint highest-risk locations with 45 dog attacks on Royal Mail postal workers reported in each location.

The BT (Belfast) postcode area saw a 27% drop in dog attacks this year compared to 62 incidents reported in 2023/24. Last year the postcode area was the 2nd most dangerous place for attacks. The BT postcode area has appeared in every dog attack hot-spot list since Royal Mail began releasing location specific date in 2013. It has been the most dangerous location for attacks five times.

8th This is the second time the SN (Swindon) postcode area has featured in the most high-risk locations. This year saw 44 attacks reported, a 10% increase on the 40 incidents in 2022/23.

9th The DN (Doncaster) postcode area has appeared on Royal Mail’s dog attack hot-spot list for the first time since location-specific data began being published in 2013. In the most recent reporting year, 42 attacks on postal workers were recorded—an increase of 31% compared to the 32 incidents reported in 2023/24.

10th The ST (Staffordshire) postcode area has entered Royal Mail’s list of most dangerous areas for the first time. This year, 40 dog attacks on postal workers were reported—a 33% rise from the 30 incidents recorded in 2023/24.

Royal Mail says ‘serious injuries’ and ’emotional distress’ are a big problem

Lizz Lloyd, Health & Safety Director at Royal Mail, said: “Dog attacks remain one of the most significant safety risks faced by postal workers. In many cases, these incidents result in serious injuries, emotional distress, and time away from work. Royal Mail continues to call on the public to be vigilant and responsible by securing their pets before opening the door to receive mail or packages.

“We continue to invest in safety training and awareness campaigns for both employees and the public, but emphasise that community cooperation is essential to reducing these incidents.”