Royal Mail reports surge in dog attacks on postal workers

Dog attacks on postal workers surged to nearly 2,000 reported incidents in the past year, new figures reveal.

The Royal Mail figures show there were 1,916 dog attacks on postal workers logged during the year to 31 March, 2023, an increase of 14% on the 1,673 reported dog attacks on Royal Mail staff a year earlier.

Staff in the Tunbridge Wells postcode area reported the most incidents during the year to 31 March 2023, with 65 workers suffering attacks. The Belfast and Sheffield postcode areas which, accounted for 56 and 50 reports, respectively, recorded the next highest rates.

The figures show 902 dog attacks (47%) took place at the front door, while a further 515 (27%) happened in the garden, drive or yard, and 118 (6%) occurred in the street or road.

In addition, there were 381 injuries suffered through the letterbox, accounting for 20% of attacks on postal workers.

Dog attacks on postal workers resulted in more than 3,014 days of absence last year.

The figures were released to mark Dog Awareness Week, which aims to encourage responsible dog ownership.

Lizz Lloyd, Health and Safety Director, Royal Mail, said: “We are concerned to see attacks on our staff have increased this year.

“We know the number of attacks rises during the school holidays and in the summer months when parents and children are at home and dogs are sometimes allowed unsupervised in the garden or out on to the streets without restraints

“So, while we want our customers to enjoy being outside with their pets, we also want to ask them to consider the danger unsupervised dogs pose to our colleagues.”