WE WANT OUR MAIL BACK: Furious Blackburn residents demand end to nine-month postal suspension

Families in Surrey Road, Blackburn, said they were being ‘unfairly punished’ after a dog from a neighbouring street attacked a number of postmen.

Royal Mail said the ‘temporary suspension’, which began for some homes in February, would continue indefinitely after another attempted attack on a postman a fortnight ago.

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Several people, including poorly pensioners and a pregnant woman, have hit out at the decision and said already important medical letters had gone missing.

They have to make a four-and-a-half mile round trip to the Blackburn Delivery Office in Canterbury Street, as do residents in neighbouring Worcester Road, if they want to collect their mail.

A councillor for the area said the situation had now been going on for too long and called for a resolution had to be found soon.

Hayley Sandiford, of Worcester Road, was given a six-month community order at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court in October after she pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control.

IRATE: David and Rosemary King say they had heard little from Royal Mail

The court also ordered that her American bulldog, Winston, must be accompanied, muzzled, and kept on two leads when in public, while her garden must be securely fenced and adequately locked to prevent the animal from escaping Trevor Smith, who lives in Surrey Road, said his wife Joan, 67, had missed a hospital appointments and now arranged visits over the phone.

Mr Smith, also 67, said: “I believe the dog has been examined and there is nothing wrong with it. My wife has missed appointments through letters going missing and I know she’s not the only one on this street.

“There are a lot of elderly people here and a pregnant woman across the road who have all had letters go missing.

“It also starts to add up when you have to drive or get a taxi to Canterbury Street once or twice a week. It’s just wrong.”

Louise Johnston, 85, who is recovering from an operation, said her son had to travel from Bury to pick up letters on her behalf.

She said: “One letter was posted to me on the 27th and arrived on the 4th. My hospital appointment was on the 3rd. It’s not good enough.”

Neighbour Mark Crear, 41, said: “Me and my partner both work night shifts so it’s hard enough to get to the delivery office. I feel like we’re being unfairly punished. The dog doesn’t even live on this street.

“I don’t understand why they can’t put the post in the Accrington Road post office and that would save the whole community going to Canterbury Street all the time.”

Val Regan, 75, whose husband Phillip died last year, said she found it difficult frequently getting taxis to and from the mail depot.

She said: “The cost of going to the sorting office is something I could do without. There have been Christmas cards missing too.

“I have a lot of hospital appointments and sometimes I won’t know when they are until the last minute.”

David and Rosemary King, who live in Surrey Road near the junction with Worcester Road, said they had heard little from Royal Mail by way of explanation.

Mr King said: “Luckily we can do our appointments by email, but not everyone can do that. My wife is disabled and it’s not right that our street is still being excluded.”

Coun Tony Humphrys, who represents Shadsworth with Whitebirk, said he felt sorry for all parties involved.

He said: “I sympathise with both sides, with Royal Mail and with the residents because it is now so long since they have had mail delivered.

“I also have sympathies with Twin Valley Homes as they have tried their best to resolve it.

“I talked to one of the postmen prior to Christmas and he said the dog was still out and causing a nuisance.

“It has gone on for too long now and there has to be a resolution.”

Royal Mail spokesperson Val Bodden said: “Royal Mail can confirm that we are continuing with the temporary suspension of deliveries to a number of addresses in the Worcester Road area of Blackburn, while concern for our postmen’s safety continues, with the dog which attacked two of our postmen earlier this year still being allowed to roam freely on occasion while our postmen are out on delivery.

“In a recent incident on December 18, following restoration of deliveries to several addresses in September, our postman had to seek shelter when the dog, unattended and without a muzzle, tried to attack the postman.

“Suspending deliveries is always a last resort but we take the health and safety of our employees very seriously and we have reported this latest incident to the police and local dog warden. We apologise to all affected customers and we want to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.”