Royal Mail workers report almost 2,000 dog attacks in a year – as Tunbridge Wells tops worst postcode list
Royal Mail has reported a surge in dog attacks on postal workers – with Tunbridge Wells in Kent named as the worst offending postcode.
A total of 1,916 dog attacks have been reported in the year up to 31 March 2023 – averaging 37 a week and increasing 14% on the 1,673 incidents in the previous year.
Some postal workers suffered serious injuries after being savaged by people’s pets, with one woman left needing multiple operations including plastic surgery when a dog jumped up from behind and clamped on her elbow.
For the first time, the TN (Tunbridge Wells) postcode has been named the worst offender for dog attacks – after being in the list of worst postcode areas for nine consecutive years.
Some 65 postal workers were confronted by people’s pets in the Kent postcode – up from 44 last year, representing an increase of 48%.
The BT (Belfast) postcode followed in second with 56 attacks, up from 50 last year, having previously topped the list four times since 2013.
Sheffield saw a 2% drop compared with last year but still placed third with 50 workers targeted by dogs.
The figures were released on Monday, the first day of the annual Dog Awareness Week, which aims to encourage responsible dog ownership.
Royal Mail said it wanted people to understand the “often devastating impact of dog attacks” on postal workers and take proper measures to ensure pets do not pose a threat.
More than 900 dog attacks happened at the front door – accounting for 47% of incidents.
A further 515 (27%) occurred in the garden, drive or yard while 11% took place in the street.
Some 381 injuries were caused through the letterbox, the equivalent of around 20%.
Dog attacks caused workers to take more than 3,000 days of absence in the past year, Royal Mail said, with one individual needing 139 days off.
In a statement, it said: “Royal Mail knows that dogs are not inherently dangerous, but, even the most placid animal can be prone to attack if it feels either it or its territory is being threatened.”
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‘I couldn’t face going back on that round’
Postwoman Kimberley Link, 50, had been working in Eltham, southeast London, for around two years when she was savaged by a “big” dog on her rounds in July 2022.
She needed multiple operations including plastic surgery and skin grafts after the animal “suddenly appeared” before sinking its teeth into her arm.
One of the dog’s teeth lodged in her elbow and had to be removed during surgery.
She was in hospital for a week and needed six months off work to recover after the ordeal – which caused bad scarring to her elbow and permanent nerve damage to her hand, meaning she can no longer grip properly.
Recalling the attack, Ms Link said: “I realised [the dog] was loose and turned to get away, but he jumped up at me from behind and clamped on to my left elbow.
“I can remember the dog pulling me to the floor then letting go of my elbow and then trying to bite into the back of my neck.”
A neighbour rushed to the aid of Ms Link after hearing her scream in pain, pulling the dog off her before calling an ambulance.
Dog attacks caused workers to take more than 3,000 days of absence in the past year
“I’ve now got bad scarring on my elbow and a large patch where I have no feeling or sensation due to the skin graft,” Ms Link added.
“When I returned there was a management position available so I decided to take it – I couldn’t have faced going back on that round.”
Now she is urging dog owners to be always be cautious when a stranger comes to their home.
“Dogs are defensive of their home, so, if possible, put them in another room before opening the door to the postie because most dogs will try and push their way past their owner to the door.”
A court ordered the dog should be destroyed after the owner was prosecuted over the attack.
They were also handed a 12-month community order of 100 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £1,200 compensation to Ms Link.
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Where are the 10 worst postcodes – and how many attacks happened in the past year?
1. TN (Tunbridge Wells) – 65
2. BT (Belfast) – 56
3. S (Sheffield) – 50
4. PO (Portsmouth) – 49
5. BS (Bristol) – 42
6. SA (Swansea) – 41
7. EX (Exeter) – 38
8. NG (Nottingham) – 37
Joint 9th: BN (Brighton) and OX (Oxford) – both 34
Royal Mail’s health and safety director, Lizz Lloyd, 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.”
A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named.
Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday.
She had exited a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway while transporting her.
A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is now carrying out its own investigation into what happened.
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Avon and Somerset Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.
“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.
“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”
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The police watchdog, the IOPC, has been asked to investigate.
In a statement, director David Ford, said: “This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.
“We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.”
Paramedics attended the motorway within minutes of the girl being hit but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The motorway was closed in both directions while investigations took place. It was fully reopened shortly after 11am on Tuesday, Nationals Highways said.
A survivors group advocating for women allegedly assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed has said it is “grateful another abuser has been unmasked”, after allegations his brother Salah also participated in the abuse.
Justice for Harrods Survivors says it has “credible evidence” suggesting the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated at Harrods and the billionaire’s properties “was not limited to Mr al Fayed himself”.
The group’s statement comes after three women told BBC News they were sexually assaulted by al Fayed’s brother, Salah.
One woman said she was raped by Mohamed al Fayed while working at Harrods.
Helen, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she then took a job working for his brother as an escape. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while working at Salah’s home on Park Lane, London.
Two other women have told the BBC they were taken to Monaco and the South of France, where Salah sexually abused them.
Mohamed al Fayed. Pic: AP
The Justice for Harrod Survivors representatives said: “We are proud to support the survivors of Salah Fayed’s abuse and are committed to achieving justice for them, no matter what it takes.”
The group added it “looks forward to the others on whom we have credible evidence – whether abusers themselves or enablers facilitating that abuse – being exposed in due course”.
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Salah was one of the three Fayed brothers who co-owned Harrods.
The business, which was sold to Qatar Holdings when Mohamed al Fayed retired in 2010, has said it “supports the bravery of these women in coming forward”.
A statement issued by the famous store on Thursday evening continued: “We encourage these survivors to come forward and make their claims to the Harrods scheme, where they can apply for compensation, as well as support from a counselling perspective and through an independent survivor advocate.
“We also hope that they are looking at every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be Harrods, the police or the Fayed family and estate.”
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Bianca Gascoigne speaks about Al Fayed abuse
The Justice for Harrods Survivors group previously said more than 400 people had contacted them regarding accusations about Mohamed al Fayed, who died last year.
One of those alleged to have been abused is Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England player Paul.
Speaking to Sky News in October, Gascoigne said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.
UK
Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman
Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.
Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.
MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.
But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.
He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.
Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.
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“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.
“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.
“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.
“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”
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Review into assisted dying costs
Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.
She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.
“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.
The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband is said to support the bill. Pic: Reuters
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has concerns. Pic: Reuters
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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.
Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.
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Labour MP Kim Leadbeater discusses End of Life Bill
The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.
MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.
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