Christmas mail cancelled for entire street after dog bites postman

Postman Jason Lee. Pictures: Ross Parry Agency

Mailman Jason Lee, 42, was left with a four-inch wound on his right arm and stitches in his buttock after a bull mastiff pinned him to the ground and started “tearing chunks” out of him while he carried out his daily round.

After undergoing plastic surgery to repair his arm injuries, Mr Lee had to take nine months off work to recover - and says he is “fuming” that he cannot press charges because the attack happened on private property.

Royal Mail has now suspended deliveries to houses because of fears the dog is on the prowl again.

It means residents in Copley Avenue, Meltham, near Huddersfield, are forced to trek to their local Post Office almost a mile away - until Royal Mail is assured the dog is not a threat.

Mr Lee, of Huddersfield, a postman for 20 years, said: “I knew about this dog and I’d been wary of it before because it looked dangerous and acted aggressively.

“I remember looking through into the living room where the dog’s owner was and he was just lying on his sofa, relaxing.

“Then, as soon as I approached the door I saw this gigantic dog come around the corner and it just came flying towards my head.

“It wrestled with me and pinned me down on the floor and it was so big and strong that I couldn’t move at all while it was tearing chunks out of me.”

After the attack, on July 9 last year, postal services were suspended - but now the same dog has been spotted out again.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We have temporarily suspended deliveries to a number of addresses in Meltham, due to the threat of a dangerous dog being kept at a property being loose on the road.

“This dog has previously attacked a postman, leaving him with serious injuries, and is not currently being kept securely at the address.

“We have asked the dog owner to take the necessary steps to ensure the dog is kept securely within grounds of the property and is not able to roam free. We want to restore services to customers as soon as possible and will do so when as soon as this is addressed.”