Delivering the post is not always the gentle amble around the neighbourhood that it might appear to be from the outside. Alongside the early starts, the heavy bags to carry and the changeable British weather, postal workers also have to contend with the occasional less-than-friendly welcome at the garden gate.
New figures from Royal Mail have now shown just how much of a problem that can be in this part of the world, with the Guildford postcode named amongst the very worst in the entire country for dog attacks on its staff as they carry out their duties.
GU Postcode Second Worst in the Country
Royal Mail reported that 2,019 dog attacks on its staff were recorded across the United Kingdom over the past year and a worrying number of them happened in Surrey. The GU postcode, which covers Guildford along with Godalming, Farnham and Woking, saw 53 attacks on postmen and postwomen over the course of the year, making it the second worst postcode anywhere in the country.
That figure is a slight improvement on the 54 recorded the year before, a drop of around 2%, but it still leaves the area just eight attacks behind Sheffield in top spot, and marks the seventh time that the GU postcode has found its way onto the high-risk list. It shares second place with Doncaster, where the picture is heading in the wrong direction with a 26% rise.
Prevention Starts at the Doorstep
The figures also reveal where these incidents tend to happen, and the answer is closer to home than you might expect. Some 52% of attacks took place at the front door and a further 25% in the garden, drive or yard, meaning that the vast majority occurred on private property, whilst a not-insignificant 16% involved injuries suffered through the letterbox.
Lizz Lloyd, the Health and Safety Director at Royal Mail, said that whilst it was ‘encouraging’ to see attacks fall nationally, ‘these incidents remain a serious risk to postal workers, resulting in painful injuries and lasting distress’, adding that ‘every attack is one too many’. The organisation is urging dog owners to take a few simple precautions, such as keeping pets secure before answering the door and giving them some food or a toy to keep them occupied whilst the post is being delivered.