Dangerous Dogs Act Protects Posties

Dog owners asked to be mindful in run up to local elections

Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer is asking dog owners to be mindful of their pets approaching letter boxes in the coming weeks as campaigning for the county's local elections is set to begin.

Following a High Court ruling, owners who fail to take steps to prevent their dogs from biting postal workers or those who deliver leaflets or free newspapers -- whether they're at home or not -- could be convicted of an offence.The offence would occur under the Dangerous Dogs Act and the consequences could see owners face up to five years in prison and the dog destroyed.

The High Court made the clarification to the Dangerous Dog Act following a case in which, Royal Mail prosecuted an owner after a postal worker lost the tip of his finger after pushing his hand through the letter box delivering mail to the address. As a result of the dog roaming the house freely, the judge held the owner criminally liable.

Following the case, owners have been advised to install letter box cages or to keep dogs away from the front door.

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