Royal Mail rules for dog owners after postie has lip ripped off

Failure to comply could see your post 'suspended'

Millions of UK dog owners have been told they may want to place a sign in their doors or windows. It comes as thousands of Royal Mail post workers were injured by dogs in the last year alone, or some 42 attacks per week.

Some postal employees were left with life-changing injuries. The Royal Mail is urging owners to "please help us protect your postie", asking those with dogs to "never open the door to a postie when your dog is not secured away".

People are also encouraged to invest in letter cages or external delivery points to stop bites through the letterbox, and are being warned: "If your dog is running loose outdoors on your premises your mail can be suspended". Kirsteen Hobson, a postwoman for 10 years, was the victim of a dog attack that left her with serious facial injuries.

Sharing the terrifying experience, Kirsteen said: "The gentleman I was delivering to was standing, kind of half hanging, outside his door. I got about two thirds of the way and next thing I know there's a dog on my face and it ripped my lip off.

"I didn't see the dog come at me, my first view of the dog was when it was attached to my face ... Somehow I managed to get the dog off me, and then it lunged at my face again, biting me under the eye and on my forehead.

"I somehow got the dog off me again and I turned around to get away from it, and it sunk its teeth into my leg, into my thigh". Kirsteen said the attack has affected "every aspect of my life".

She added: "It's not something that I'd like anyone else to experience, which is why I wanted to share this so it hopefully doesn't happen [again], it can be prevented."

On the Royal Mail website there is a downloadable postcard that can be printed and placed in your door or window. Royal Mail explains: "This lets anyone delivering to your property know that you have a dog and asks them to wait whilst you secure your dog before opening the door."