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Frustrated residents on a Liverpool street have been left without post for almost six months after a Royal Mail employee was bitten by a dog.
Royal Mail suspended postal deliveries to Ash Vale in Wavertree after a worker was chased and bitten by a dog on September 10, 2022.
Since the attack, Royal Mail have confirmed they have suspended deliveries to the street until such time as it is “deemed safe to resume”. Ash Vale residents have claimed they are now waiting on important letters, including a 70-year-old for cancer test results and others for appointments at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
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The suspension is believed to have impacted more than 25 properties on the road. One resident, waiting on their cancer test results, told the ECHO that their life has taken a “turn for the worse”.
Another said: “Nobody is receiving post from Royal Mail. We have to go to Wellington Road sorting office to pick it up. It’s very inconvenient for everybody.
“I regularly see postmen walk past the same spot where the dog incident happened. If they can do that then they can surely deliver to our addresses.
“This is ridiculous, so I don’t know what we are going to do”.
Residents fear the service will not resume in the near future. Picton Councillor Nathalie Nicholas said she has made inquiries to Royal Mail on behalf of residents.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Cllr Nicholas said she had to contact Royal Mail three times in November 2022 before getting a “satisfactory reply”. The councillor said Royal Mail told her they take “every failure seriously” and would reply to her within 10 working days if there were any issues but has since received no further contact.
She said: “I’m very disappointed in Royal Mail. Since November when I contacted them, they assured me if I have not heard from them that the matter has been resolved. Residents are having to travel several times a week to see if they have mail, and has resulted in some having missed hospital appointments.
“It’s very disappointing Royal Mail have not found a resolution and we need this resolving now. It’s almost six months since the service stopped and this is not good enough”.
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Our first priority as an employer is to ensure the welfare and safety of postmen and women who provide a valuable service to our customers across the UK and we do everything we can to keep postmen and women safe from dog attacks. We are in contact with the local police on a regular basis who are keeping us updated.
“However, the dog that resides at a property in the area still presents a serious risk to our colleagues. As such, the suspension will remain in place until such time as it is deemed safe to resume deliveries to the impacted addresses”.
*Merseyside Police confirmed, when asked by the ECHO, that a man has been charged over the attack and will appear in Liverpool Magistrates Court on March 22. Joseph Blaney, 36, Ash Vale, was charged with owning or being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury.
Merseyside Police told the ECHO: “We can confirm a man has been charged following an incident in Wavertree last year. On Saturday 10 September, a Royal Mail worker was chased and bitten by a dog, resulting in injuries”.
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