Portsmouth postcode among UK's worst dog attack hotspots for posties
There are 38 dog attacks on postal workers every week
Portsmouth has been named among the UK's worst dog attack hotspots for posties.
The PO postcode has been ranked third in a list complied by the Royal Mail of areas which are the highest risk for its workers with 50 reported attacks over the last year across the area which includes the city, Isle of Wight, Gosport, Fareham, Havant, Waterloville, Hayling Island, Emsworth, Chichester and Bognor Regis.
It comes as Royal Mail announced that 2,019 dog attacks on its staff were reported over the past year, marking an eight per cent decrease compared to the previous reporting period. Whilst the company welcomes the drop, it said attacks remain unacceptably high at an average of 38 attacks every week across the UK, with some leading to permanent and disabling injuries.
The figures have been released at the start of the 14th annual Dog Awareness Week, which will run from 6-12 July and actively encourages responsible dog ownership. Royal Mail is appealing to dog owners to ensure they understand the devastating impact of dog attacks on postmen and postwomen and take proper measures to ensure their pets pose no threat to delivery postal workers, or the community at large, through responsible dog ownership.
Dog attacks in the PO postcode were down on last year –compared to 60 for 2024/25, but attack numbers are significant enough that it remains in the high-risk list. The PO postcode area has featured in the top, most high-risk areas for dog attacks for nine consecutive years - including at the top of the list in 2023/04 -and 10 years in total since Royal Mail began publishing attack figures.
The 10 most high-risk postcode areas for dog attacks on Royal Mail postal workers are:
- 1 S Sheffield 61
- 2 DN Doncaster 53
- = GU Guildford 53
- 3 NE Newcastle 50
- = PO Portsmouth 50
- 4 NG Nottingham 48
- 5 SA Swansea 44
- 6 BT Belfast 37
- 7 ME Medway 36
- 8 TN Tonbridge 35
- = YO York 35
- 9 LE Leicester 34
- 10 ST Stoke-on- Trent 31
There were 1,048 (52%) attacks at the front door, a 4% increase on the 1,005 last year. These figures highlight that the majority of incidents happen on private property, where postal workers have a legal right to access. Dog owners are responsible for ensuring their pets are under control at all times to prevent harm to authorised visitors.
A further 511 (25%) dog attacks took place in the garden, drive or yard. There were 135 (7%) attacks in the street or road.
There were 324 injuries suffered through the letterbox - accounting for 16% of attacks on postal workers. Letterbox attacks were the subject of a 2020 High Court ruling that stated dog owners (or those in care of a dog) can be prosecuted if their pets have free access to the letterbox and cause injury to any delivery operative, whether the owner is at home or not.
Lizz Lloyd, Health & Safety Director at Royal Mail, said: “While it’s encouraging to see dog attacks on our colleagues fall by 8% last year, these incidents remain a serious risk to postal workers, resulting in painful injuries and lasting distress. Every attack is one too many.
“We continue to raise awareness of the issue among the public, but preventing attacks starts at the doorstep. We’re urging dog owners to take simple steps, such as keeping pets secure before opening the door, to help keep our people safe.”
Posties themselves have been speaking about the devastating impact an attack can have including Katy Davies who has worked as a postie in Bristol for around three years and has been on the same delivery route for more than two and a half years. But in January 2026, Katy was seriously injured in a dog attack while out delivering mail on her usual route.
Katy says: “I love my job. I know my customers really well and feel part of the wider community. I meet lots of lovely dogs on my round, and the vast majority are well behaved and kept under control.
“In this case, the dog was one I knew well and had been aware of since it was young. It had always been friendly towards me and had never shown any signs of aggressive behaviour before. That was one of the most shocking things about the incident. But dogs are naturally territorial animals and, however well behaved they may normally be, they can sometimes react unpredictably.
“I was out on my round when I turned a blind corner into a shared driveway area. The dog approached me at speed from behind and everything happened so quickly that I had no time to react. I suddenly felt the impact as it clamped onto my lower leg, knocking me off my feet.
“Before I knew it, I was on the ground in severe pain. The dog bit me just below the knee, causing five puncture wounds, three of them very deep. Two required stitches and the attack also caused tendon damage that I still live with today. The injuries were far worse than I initially realised. There was significant bleeding from the wound and some of the deeper bites had torn the skin, requiring urgent medical treatment.
“The physical injuries were serious. I couldn't walk unaided for around three weeks, couldn't drive for approximately three months and was off work for three months while I recovered. The wounds later became badly infected, which made an already painful recovery even more difficult. One of the puncture wounds took weeks, if not months, to heal properly, and I still live with the effects of the injury today.
“The physical injuries were painful and frustrating, but the biggest impact was psychological. I became very anxious and depressed after the attack. Even now, six months later, it still affects me. I'll never quite be the same person I was before. The scars on my leg are permanent, but the mental scars run much deeper.
“My message to dog owners is simple: please don't take any risks. Your dog may be the friendliest dog in the world, but animals can act unpredictably. Keeping your dog safely secured before opening the door or accepting a delivery can prevent serious incidents from happening.
“If you know your dog is excitable or boisterous, take extra precautions such as using dog gates or an external letterbox. These simple steps can make a huge difference.
Top tips for dog owners
• Ensure your dog is out of the way before the postman or postwoman arrives. Place your pet in the back garden or a faraway room
• Never open the door when your dog is behind you
• Please ensure your dog is prevented from accessing or approaching our postman or postwoman when they call. This includes securing any access between the back and front garden and ensuring dogs in front gardens are safely contained and unable to reach the postman or postwoman.
• Dog attacks can happen when you’ve opened the door to sign for an item. Please keep your dog in another room before answering the door and make sure children don’t open the door, as dogs can push by them and attack
• Give your dog some food or a toy to occupy them while your mail is being delivered
• Wait 10 minutes after your mail has arrived to let your pet back into your hallway. Keep everything as calm and low-key as possible
• If your dog likes to attack your mail, consider installing a wire letter receptacle. It will protect your post, and your postman’s or postwoman’s fingers
• If it’s not practical for you to keep your dog away from a postman or postwoman delivering your mail, consider fitting a secure mailbox on the edge of your property
Visit www.royalmail.com/dogawareness for more information on dog safety.