Royal Mail refuses to deliver post to whole street for six months because it’s not safe

Residents on the street said they are waiting on important letters, including a 70-year-old anxiously awaiting cancer test results and others for hospital appointments

Royal Mail has left a whole street without post for nearly six months after one of its employees was allegedly attacked by a dog.

The company suspended deliveries to Ash Vale in Liverpool after it said a worker was chased and bitten by the pet in September last year.

It added that services would resume once it was “deemed safe”, but currently the dog still “presents a serious risk to colleagues”.

Locals voiced their frustrations over the suspension, which is thought to have affected more than 25 homes on the road.

Residents said they were waiting on important letters, including a 70-year-old for cancer test results and others for hospital appointments.

One local told the Liverpool Echo: “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.”

And a pensioner waiting on their cancer test results said their life has taken a “turn for the worse”.

Picton Councillor Nathalie Nicholas said she had made enquiries to Royal Mail on behalf of residents, who expressed concerns over how long it will take for the service to resume.

The councillor said it took three attempts before getting a “satisfactory reply” from the company in November last year.

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.”

Cllr Nicholas said Royal Mail told her it took “every failure seriously” and would reply to her within 10 working days if there were any issues, but she has heard nothing since.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said it had requested updates from the local police force on a regular basis.

They 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 that a 36-year-old man had been charged with owning or being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury.

A force spokesperson said: “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.”

The man is due to appear at Liverpool Magistrates Court on March 22.