Royal Mail to step up action against dog owners after more than 3,000 attacks on postal workers in a year

By Daily Mail Reporter

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The Royal Mail pledged today to take more action against owners of dogs that attack postal workers after a new report called for tougher legislation.

The postal group said it will actively pursue legal action against the owners of dangerous dogs and take a more 'robust' approach to suspending deliveries to addresses where attacks take place.

The moves follow publication of an independent inquiry into dog attacks on postal staff, which the Royal Mail said numbered more than 3,000 in the year to April.

Sort it out: Royal Mail are pressing for action after thousands of attacks on its workers by dogs

Sort it out: Royal Mail are pressing for action after thousands of attacks on its workers by dogs

Former High Court judge Sir Gordon Langley recommended that new legislation should be introduced to provide tougher legal sanctions against owners of dangerous dogs.

The report pointed out that action cannot be taken if an attack takes place on private property, limiting legal protection available to postmen and women.

 

The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which has criticised the Government for failing to take action on dangerous dogs, said today's report should be the catalyst needed to bring action.

The union said the number of postal workers suffering dog attacks was nearer 5,000 a year.

Sir Gordon's report called on the Government to repeal current legislation and provide a new statute so that legal action can be taken against dog owners, wherever an attack takes place.

New laws have already been introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with legislation planned in Wales.

Making a stance: The Royal Mail has said it will take legal action against owners of dogs who have attacked postmen and women

Making a stance: The Royal Mail has said it will take legal action against owners of dogs who have attacked postmen and women

Sir Gordon said: 'It is a matter of real concern to learn of the extent and frequency of attacks on postal workers and to find that for a considerable time there has been almost general agreement not only on the inadequacies of the present law in England and Wales but also on the nature of the reforms required to address it, but to date it remains unchanged.'

Royal Mail chairman Donald Brydon said: 'Dog attacks cause injuries and terrible trauma to our staff. Nobody should have to endure this and our staff are at an increased risk of such attacks simply because of the job they do.

'We welcome the findings in Sir Gordon Langley's independent report, especially his call for an urgent reform of the laws in England and Wales. We have also taken on board his comments that Royal Mail should take a more robust approach with customers whose dogs attack postmen and women. We will adjust our policies immediately.'

CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said: 'Sir Gordon's recommendations take on board our own long-standing campaign objectives of securing new UK-wide laws which apply on private property, moving away from breed-specific legislation, introducing microchipping and getting serious when it comes to prosecution and punishment.

'England will soon be the only part of the UK without updated dogs laws as Scotland and Northern Ireland have already introduced new improved legislation and Wales is legislating in the current session.

'This Government has procrastinated and steadfastly refused to act on the issue of dangerous dogs while people continue to suffer serious injuries and lose their lives in dog attacks.'

The comments below have not been moderated.

I just wish you would stop using the picture here illustrated of a SBT as a dangerous dog it's because the coverage you give out in your newspapers that gives this breed a bad reputation,I would be more wary of a handbag dog than a larger breed dog,this breed of dog is discriminated against if you don't own this breed of dog don't knock it !!!

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It's funny how owners of dangerous dogs all say the same thing. Staffies aren't harmful, it's all down to training. I say lets ban all dogs that have lock jaws, and that includes Jack Russell's too. Why does any want a smelly dog in their home in the 1st place. Yuk! - White Van Man, Bristol, UK, 24/11/2012 White Van Man ~ No breed of dog has a locking jaw mechanism! So it's not possible to ban all dogs that have 'lock jaws' because there's no such thing. However, it's a great pity that some human's don't suffer from 'lock jaws' or at least 'locked keypads' to prevent them from writing such narrow minded trash! Maybe people want what you call a 'smelly dog' in their home, because dogs are wonderful pets, and unless you've ever owned one, you'll never know. There are many homeless dogs in shelters, thankfully many get rescued thanks to wonderful people who don't share your point of view.

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RM should take more action - my neighbour's dog has now bitten at least one postman and at least two Parcelforce couriers that I know about, plus 6 or 7 other people. It's a vicious little brute because she is the worst kind of owner (poor dog has bad diet, never walked, never trained, not kept under control). However, the postie and others haven't so far made complaints because they're embarrassed - the dog is a Shih-tzu cross. In the meantime, anyone who comes to deliver anything is at risk and how long before it attacks one of the children who regularly walk past our houses? Even a small dog can cause serious damage, as that awful tragedy with the Jack Russell last week proves. Nothing can be done until someone makes an official complaint... If it were my bull terrier who'd bitten anyone, I'd be mortified, but fortunately my dog considers anyone who comes to our door as a long-lost friend!

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There it is again, the same picture the DM is very fond of, the little red staffie sneezing! Yes Britain does need new dog laws, it needs to scrap the ridiculous Breed Specific Legislation and replace it with punishing bad owners instead.

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My husband heard an interview yesterday related to this story, one of the 'whining posties' was saying that he was attacked by a staffie. He had his thumbs in the dogs eye sockets trying to gouge his eye out to stop him, in the crowd that gathered, someone bashed the dog repeatedly with a large scaffold pole, and when the dog still wouldnt stop the dogs owner gave him a hammer to smash the dog over the head with. It broke the hammer. They want to be able to stop delivering to houses with dogs they view as dangerous is all - quite reasonable! IMO.LIAR utter made up rubbish. Even starts with my husband heard. Yeah and my wife friends brothers mate tells me it's not true.

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Postmen are a big bunch of softies who are overpaid for doing a job that requires no brains at all.

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The Royal Mail needs to do something about unwanted junk mail. Why should I have to recycle all this junk mail, I didn't request, whist you, Royal Mail, get paid handsomely for delivering it. I then have to pay the local council to remove it, and you, Royal Mail pay nothing towards this service.

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The Royal Mail needs to do something about unwanted junk mail. Why should I have to recycle all this junk mail, I didn't request, whist you, Royal Mail, get paid handsomely for delivering it.

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When I was a postie in New Zealand if a dog bit a postie the dog was destroyed without question. This makes dog owners keep their dogs under control. Consequently there is virtually no problems.

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When I was a postie in New Zealand if a dog bit a postie the dog was destroyed without question. This makes dog owners keep their dogs under control. Consequently there is virtually no problems.

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