Kent is among the worst in the UK when it comes to dog attacks on postal workers

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Two Kent postcodes have some of the most dog attacks on postmen and women in the whole of the UK.

Rochester and Tonbridge ranked in the top ten for number of attacks this year, and worryingly, Rochester's figures have more than doubled.

The Rochester area, with the postcode ME, saw 49 attacks, ranking 6th in the UK, while the Tonbridge (TN) area saw 51 attacks, ranking them 5th.

A number of Kent postcodes have seen the number of dog attacks on postal workers skyrocket over the last year

The figures from Tonbridge, thankfully, were a decrease on the preceding year, however, Rochester has seen a 32% increase from last year's figure of 37.

From April 2016 to March 2017, there were 2,400 attacks around the UK, making the total for the last five years a staggering 14,500 across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Figures released by the Royal Mail show that on average, seven postal workers are attacked every day.

While figures across the UK have fallen this year, Kent as a whole saw 156 attacks this year, a 12% rise from last year.

Dartford saw a 50% rise in 12 attacks, while Canterbury saw a smaller rise of 5%, which was third in the county for attacks with 49.

There were a whopping 14,500 dog attacks across the country in the space of 11 months

The largest percentage increase in Kent has come from the Bromley (BR) postcode area, which has seen attacks more than double at 9 - up 125% from 4 last year.

In order to fight figures like this, the Royal Mail is running its fifth annual Dog Awareness Week, from Monday (July 3) to Saturday (July 8).

Dr Shaun Davis, Global Director of Safety for the Royal Mail Group, said "While the number of dog attacks on postmen and women has fallen in the last year, the numbers are still far too high.

"Our postmen and women need to be able to deliver the service they provide to communities across the UK, without the risk of injury."

Dave Joyce, Communications Worker's Union National Health and Safety Officer, said: "Seven postal workers attacked by dogs every day of the year is unacceptable.

"The whole idea of Dog Awareness Week is to highlight the problem and the repercussions for dog owners and the victims, many of whom are seriously injured."

The awareness week will feature a wide range of activities. Royal Mail delivery staff will be talking to members of the public about their own experiences with dog attacks, while Dogs Trust's expert behaviourist Dr Rachel Casey is available to talk about dog behaviour to help people understand what goes on in their dog's mind to lead to these attacks.

In addition, you can keep an eye out for the Dog Awareness posters which will be put up in all Royal Mail enquiry offices, offering helpful tips to dog owners. There will also be a special postmark applied to all stamped mail items during Dog Awareness week.