NEARLY 1,700 posties were attacked by dogs last year, figures show — some left with permanent and disabling injuries.
The Royal Mail statistics reveal there were 32 a week on average.
Almost 40 per cent happened at the front door, 30 per cent in the garden or driveway and 23 per cent were through the letterbox.
Postie Julie Mundy fell breaking her hip — and was left with PTSD — in a dog attack in Nantwich, Cheshire.
She said: “The dog was on top of me but I couldn’t move.
“My arm was bleeding where it had bitten me as I tried to cover my face.”
Sheffield saw the most incidents in the year to March 31 with 51, followed by Belfast (50) and Tunbridge Wells (44).
Brighton, Nottingham and Swansea each had 37.
Union bosses are so concerned by the number of attacks that they have written to Environment Secretary George Eustice calling for toughened dog control laws.
Dave Joyce, from the Communication Workers’ Union, said: “Dog attacks remain a major safety hazard for postmen and women and the scale of the problem shouldn’t be underestimated.”