The Royal Mail today launched an inquiry into dog attacks after it emerged around 11 postmen a day are being bitten on their rounds.
The walk between the letterbox and the gate is now fraught with danger for posties, with over 24,000 suffering bites since 2006.
Almost 400 of the injuries resulted in postmen and women taking days off sick in the last year, with a total of 4,100 working days lost.
The independent inquiry, led by former high court judge Sir Gordon Langley, will make recommendations to reduce the number of dog attacks.
The Royal Mail has already spent over £100,000 trying to reduce the risk of injury, including a device to put letters through doors to protect fingers.
The Communication Workers Union said it believed up to 6,000 postal workers were attacked by dogs every year while on delivery rounds and called on the Government to strengthen the law as a matter of urgency.
Dave Joyce, national safety officer of the CWU, which has been campaigning for years for measures to tackle dangerous dogs, said: "This is a very positive and welcome development at a key moment and will definitely raise the profile of the issue and influence the public and political debate and strengthen the case for change which is overwhelming and must not be further delayed."
The union said it received an assurance from Prime Minister David Cameron almost two years ago that he supported its campaign for tougher laws against dangerous dogs, but changes have not been made.
The CWU said recent incidents included extensive bruising and a deep flesh wound suffered by Devon postwoman Patricia Prew inflicted on her by a golden retriever, which attacked her as she entered the front garden of a house in the coastal town of Budleigh Salterton.
"It just grabbed hold of me and pulled me down and then it bit me so deeply that it took a chunk of my muscle from that part of my arm," said Ms Prew, who was off work for six weeks.
In August 2011, Andrew Berge suffered severe damage to his left-hand ring finger and tendon when a dog bit him at an address in south west London.
"As I posted an item through the letterbox, a dog bit and held on for four to five minutes," he said.
The company's chairman Donald Brydon said: "It is an offence to decency that good people should suffer these attacks when carrying out their daily jobs and serving the public."
Claire Robinson, the RSPCA's government relations manager, said: "This is a welcome step in the ongoing attempts to find a solution to problems associated with irresponsible dog ownership and dangerous dogs.
"We look forward to following the progress of the inquiry and hope that it will be of huge benefit to public safety, but also to animal welfare.
"While this inquiry is focused on postal workers, hopefully the impact of its findings will be seen much wider and benefit the general public - both human and animal - as a whole.
"The RSPCA strongly believes any new measures should focus on preventing dog attacks and bites from happening at all, rather than simply respond to them after they have happened.
"Hopefully this will be reflected in the inquiry."
source--article published in Mirror News dated 14/03/2012
The walk between the letterbox and the gate is now fraught with danger for posties, with over 24,000 suffering bites since 2006.
Almost 400 of the injuries resulted in postmen and women taking days off sick in the last year, with a total of 4,100 working days lost.
The independent inquiry, led by former high court judge Sir Gordon Langley, will make recommendations to reduce the number of dog attacks.
The Royal Mail has already spent over £100,000 trying to reduce the risk of injury, including a device to put letters through doors to protect fingers.
The Communication Workers Union said it believed up to 6,000 postal workers were attacked by dogs every year while on delivery rounds and called on the Government to strengthen the law as a matter of urgency.
Dave Joyce, national safety officer of the CWU, which has been campaigning for years for measures to tackle dangerous dogs, said: "This is a very positive and welcome development at a key moment and will definitely raise the profile of the issue and influence the public and political debate and strengthen the case for change which is overwhelming and must not be further delayed."
The union said it received an assurance from Prime Minister David Cameron almost two years ago that he supported its campaign for tougher laws against dangerous dogs, but changes have not been made.
The CWU said recent incidents included extensive bruising and a deep flesh wound suffered by Devon postwoman Patricia Prew inflicted on her by a golden retriever, which attacked her as she entered the front garden of a house in the coastal town of Budleigh Salterton.
"It just grabbed hold of me and pulled me down and then it bit me so deeply that it took a chunk of my muscle from that part of my arm," said Ms Prew, who was off work for six weeks.
In August 2011, Andrew Berge suffered severe damage to his left-hand ring finger and tendon when a dog bit him at an address in south west London.
"As I posted an item through the letterbox, a dog bit and held on for four to five minutes," he said.
The company's chairman Donald Brydon said: "It is an offence to decency that good people should suffer these attacks when carrying out their daily jobs and serving the public."
Claire Robinson, the RSPCA's government relations manager, said: "This is a welcome step in the ongoing attempts to find a solution to problems associated with irresponsible dog ownership and dangerous dogs.
"We look forward to following the progress of the inquiry and hope that it will be of huge benefit to public safety, but also to animal welfare.
"While this inquiry is focused on postal workers, hopefully the impact of its findings will be seen much wider and benefit the general public - both human and animal - as a whole.
"The RSPCA strongly believes any new measures should focus on preventing dog attacks and bites from happening at all, rather than simply respond to them after they have happened.
"Hopefully this will be reflected in the inquiry."
source--article published in Mirror News dated 14/03/2012
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