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RESIDENTS in a Burnham-on-Sea street left without mail for ten days after a postie was attacked by a dog have had their service restored.
Royal Mail had refused to deliver post to 12 properties in Caernarvon Way in August after a postwoman was bitten.
Some residents along Caernarvon Way were left angry and frustrated at having to regularly visit the Post Office to collect their mail.
Nonie Bridgewater, a resident who lives in Caernarvon Way, said: “We had no post delivered to our homes from August 21 and we had to go into Burnham delivery office to collect it.
“I understand the health and safety side of this and that Royal Mail has to look out for the safety of its posties but this had a big affect on us.
“Almost all of the residents who live on our street our elderly and retired so it wasn’t easy for us to have to go and collect our post from the delivery office.
“We had to queue for a long time just to get our post and some of our neighbours had to go and get post for other households as well as themselves.
“Recently I had to go for an operation and my husband and I had to go and get our post from the delivery office before we went to the hospital as we did not know whether my appointment had been cancelled or moved.
“We didn’t have much information from Royal Mail apart from that letter and I am disappointed by the way they have handled this.”
A spokesperson for Royal Mail, said deliveries to some of the houses on the street have now been reinstated and further risk assessments will be carried out to ensure the safety of their staff.
“We know that the vast majority of dog owners are very responsible and keep their pets under control. However, last year, there were 2,484 dog attacks on postmen and women in the UK,” the spokesperson said.
“We continue to appeal to dog owners and their families to help reduce the numbers of attacks, particularly at the door and in the garden. Royal Mail only suspends deliveries as a last resort, when the safety of our staff is at risk.
“As of August 31, deliveries to all but two properties in Caernarvon Way have been reinstated.
“We will resume deliveries to the remaining two properties in the street after we have carried out a risk assessment and consider it safe enough for our staff.”
Nonie said while she is pleased deliveries have returned to some of the houses on the street she received a letter from Royal Mail on August 30 which said deliveries could be suspended again if the dog is seen running around the street.
She said: “We are concerned that if the dog is seen running around again that our deliveries will be suspended.
“We have been told that the dog owner has taken action so that it won’t happen again but we have seen the dog running around so we will have to wait and see.”
