Featured Image Credit: Richard Wayman / Alamy Stock Photo/GoogleEarth
Niamh Spence
A street in Liverpool has been without post for nearly six months after Royal Mail suspended deliveries after a dog attacked a postal worker.
The street in Liverpool's Ash Vale has not received a letter or delivery from Royal Mail since September last year.
The suspension was put in place following a postal worker reportedly being chased and bitten by a resident's dog.
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The incident has meant Royal Mail has refused to resume normal service and postal deliveries until it was 'deemed safe', adding that the dog still 'presents a serious risk to colleagues'.
However, this has left residents of the street in a difficult position, with 25 homes believed to be affected.
Residents have now spoken out as many air concerns that they are missing important letters, including a 70-year-old waiting for cancer test results and others for vital hospital appointments.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, one resident shared: "Nobody is receiving post from Royal Mail. We have to go to Wellington Road sorting office to pick it up. It’s very inconvenient for everybody.
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"I regularly see postmen walk past the same spot where the dog incident happened. If they can do that then they can surely deliver to our addresses.
"This is ridiculous, so I don't know what we are going to do."
The stand off from Royal Mail has even been brought to the attention of the local council, with Picton Councillor Nathalie Nicholas stepping in to try and get a response from the postal service.
The service reportedly didn't respond until the local MP had made three attempts to get an answer on when residents could expect to receive their letters.
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She explained: "I’m very disappointed in Royal Mail.
"Since November when I contacted them, they assured me if I have not heard from them that the matter has been resolved. Residents are having to travel several times a week to see if they have mail, and has resulted in some having missed hospital appointments.
"It’s very disappointing Royal Mail have not found a resolution and we need this resolving now. It’s almost six months since the service stopped and this is not good enough."
Royal Mail has now issued a statement, as it states it's waiting for answers from the local police force of when it is safe for the postal worker to return to their duties on that road.
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It said: "Our first priority as an employer is to ensure the welfare and safety of postmen and women who provide a valuable service to our customers across the UK and we do everything we can to keep postmen and women safe from dog attacks.
"We are in contact with the local police on a regular basis who are keeping us updated."
They added: "However, the dog that resides at a property in the area still presents a serious risk to our colleagues. As such, the suspension will remain in place until such time as it is deemed safe to resume deliveries to the impacted addresses."
Discussing the incident, Merseyside Police confirmed they had charged a 36-year-old man for being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury.
In a statement issued, they said: "We can confirm a man has been charged following an incident in Wavertree last year.
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"On Saturday 10 September, a Royal Mail worker was chased and bitten by a dog, resulting in injuries."
The man is being charged at Liverpool's Magistrates Court later this month.