Call for better dog control after rise in attacks on postmen

Some 3,300 Royal Mail staff have been attacked by dogs in the last year. Credit: Good Morning Britain/ITV

The Royal Mail has launched a campaign to protect their postmen's safety after it emerged nine of their employees are attacked by a dog every day.

There has been an eight percent rise in attacks on Royal Mail staff over the past year - pushing the number of casualties to 3,300, they said.

The number of incidents remained "unacceptably high", said the postal group, ahead of new legislation making it possible to prosecute dog owners for attacks on private property.

However, Royal Mail said dogs were not born dangerous, and pointed to a primal fear the animal may act on when it feels its territory is being invaded.

Postwoman Lena Gane was attacked while on the job two years ago and told Good Morning Britain she still suffers from a severe dog phobia because of it.