Dog attacks on postal workers fall by third

THE number of dog attacks on postmen and women has fallen by almost a third in the past year, Royal Mail has reported.

There were 1,690 dog incidents, compared with 2,445 in 2019-20, but the company said the number of attacks is still too high, with 33 every week, some of which lead to permanent and disabling injuries.

The fall has been mainly attributed to changes to deliveries due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which have seen Royal Mail launch contact-free delivery, enabling workers to take letters and parcels to the doorstep while adhering to social distancing measures.

Royal Mail has launched its annual Dog Awareness Week with a plea to owners to ensure they understand the often “devastating” impact of dog attacks. Most attacks take place at the front door, with others in gardens, driveways or through letterboxes.

They resulted in more than 900 days of absence in 202021, with the most incidents reported in areas including parts of Sheffield, Brighton, Belfast, Portsmouth, Ipswich, Tunbridge Wells and Gloucester.

Dr Shaun Davis, of Royal Mail, said: “We are pleased to see such a significant decrease in dog attacks on our staff this past year. However, 33 dog attacks per week on postal workers is still alarmingly high.”

Royal Mail said it is continuing to push for changes in the law to reflect the severity of attacks.

Following changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act in England and Wales that came into force in 2014, Royal Mail has carried out more than 25 private prosecutions against dog owners.

The Communication Workers Union said dog attacks remain a “major safety hazard” for postal workers, and the “scale of the problem shouldn’t be under-estimated”.