Somerset dog owner bites back after RM boycotts street

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Somerset dog owner bites back after Royal Mail boycotts street http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/Do ... ticle.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A DOG owner claims he has been "alienated" from his neighbours after Royal Mail stopped delivering post to his street because his terrier attacked a postman.

Deliveries to 20 homes in Wentworth Road Yeovil, were suspended on "health and safety" grounds last week after Milly, an 11-year-old wiry terrier allegedly bit a postal worker in the street.

Milly's owner, Simon Hill, accused Royal Mail of going "too far" with the suspension and has since signed a dog control notice with the local council as officials worked to reinstate deliveries this week.

Neighbours were baffled by the action, and frustrated at having to travel across the town to collect their post from the sorting office at Huish.

Residents on the street received a letter from Royal Mail delivery office manager Nigel Quick last week saying deliveries would be suspended "with immediate effect".

It read: "A health and safety risk assessment was undertaken and confirmed that the level of risk associated with delivering to your property was unacceptably high due to the threat of further dog attacks."

Mr Hill admitted his dog Milly had attacked a postal worker on two occasions.

The first occasion was around six months ago and happened in the garden of his home. At that time, postal deliveries to his address were suspended.

He admitted Milly again attacked a postal worker on December 10, but did not draw blood.

Milly got out into the street while Mr Hill's son was looking for another dog, Mr Hill said.

He added: "We have had no contact from the post office. The dog warden visited us and asked us to put a spring on the gate and put a letter box outside the garden.

"They cancelled our post around five or six months ago – we have been going to the post office to collect our post.

"To punish everyone in the street and alienate everyone against us, they have gone too far. My wife is getting funny looks from the neighbours."

Mr Hill said both attacks happened in the afternoon and the dog is normally tied up in the mornings.

A spokeswoman for Royal Mail said deliveries to 19 homes in Wentworth Road were reinstated on Tuesday after Mr Hill had agreed measures to restrain Milly. Deliveries to Mr Hill's home remain suspended.

The spokeswoman said: "The resident has agreed measures to keep his dog under stricter control after it attacked and bit one of our postmen when it was running loose in the area.

"This is the second attack involving the same dog. We regrettably had to temporarily suspend deliveries after this attack while a solution could be found to the problem.

"We apologise to Wentworth Road residents for any inconvenience caused as a result.

"We take the safety of our employees very seriously."

A spokesman for South Somerset District Council said: "An officer from the council's enforcement team visited the property.

"The owner signed a voluntary dog control notice, requesting that the dog is kept on a lead when in the immediate vicinity of the house, a warning sign is put up and a post box put up outside the garden so the postman doesn't have to enter the property and fit a spring closure mechanism to the gate.

"The officer visited the property again and all the criteria had been met."

Neighbour Sharron Gibbons said she had been surprised to hear of the biting. She said: "This road does not have problem dogs. There are children in the house with the dog concerned, and we have never heard of any other attacks.

"It would be sad if the owners feel as if people in the street are turning against them. It's quite a friendly house.

"It's very unfortunate that the postman was attacked just outside the gate, in the street. It means they've had to take action against the whole street. But we still get newspapers delivered around here, so the situation cannot be that bad."

James Mcneil said: "It's ridiculous that we are not getting a service which we pay for."

Richard Thorner said: "We're not very impressed by the whole situation. We think it is unfair. If someone got caught speeding, should every motorist on the road have to pay a fine? But that's exactly what's going on here."

[mazza111]

Oh well, it didn't draw blood, that's all right then

[arnold cheshire]

if you get bit always inform the police and prosecute