Royal Mail could roll out US-style post-boxes in a bid to stop their workers being attacked by dogs, it has been reported.
Postal bosses are said to be drawing up plans to encourage customers with aggressive dogs to buy boxes opened with a QR code rather than letters being pushed through the door.
It comes after the company reported that the number of dog attacks on its posties fell by nearly a third in the past year because of changes to deliveries during the pandemic.
There were 1,690 dog incidents, compared with 2,445 the previous year, but the company said the number of attacks was still too high, with 33 each week, some leading to permanent and disabling injuries.
During the Covid pandemic Royal Mail launched contact-free delivery, enabling workers to take letters and parcels to the doorstep while adhering to social distancing measures.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph Dr Shaun Davis from Royal Mail, said the postal service was looking to build on those encouraging figures, and discussions were being had to find alternatives to posting through letterboxes.
He said: “In terms of what we can do to build on reducing dog attacks on postal workers, we are looking at options."
Those options could reportedly include externally-mounted post-boxes or locker-style post-boxes using a pin number or a QR code.
Dr Davies said any decision would have to be discussed with Ofcom.
“We wouldn’t mandate it, and we don’t endorse products, but we might tell customers struggling with a nervous or aggressive dog that they may want to consider this option,” he added.
Royal Mail is marking its annual Dog Awareness Week with a plea to owners to ensure they understand the often "devastating" impact of dog attacks on postmen and women.
Most dog attacks take place at the front door, with others in gardens, driveways or through letterboxes.
They resulted in more than 900 days of absence in 2020/21, with the most incidents reported in areas including parts of Brighton, Sheffield, Belfast, Portsmouth, Ipswich, Tunbridge Wells and Gloucester.
Following changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act in England and Wales that came into force in 2014, Royal Mail has carried out more than 25 private prosecutions against dog owners.
Dave Joyce, of the Communication Workers Union, said: "Dog attacks remain a major safety hazard and concern for postmen and postwomen across the UK, and the scale of the problem shouldn't be under-estimated.
"There has been a huge increase in dogs purchased by new owners during the pandemic. This may add to postal workers' problems as recent research tells us that many of these dogs haven't been trained or socialised."
Royal Mail said it continues to push for changes in the law to reflect the severity of attacks.
