A dog owner is feeling alienated from his neighbours after Royal Mail took the decision to stop delivering mail to his street after his Terrier dog allegedly bit a postal worker. The Somerset Guardian claimed delivers to 20 homes in Wentworth Road Yeovil were suspended on "health and safety" grounds last week after Simon Hill's 11 year old Terrier dog, Milly allegedly bit a postal worker in the street.

The Somerset Guardian reports:

Milly's owner, Simon Hill, accused Royal Mail of going "too far" with the suspension and has since signed a dog control notice with the local council as officials worked to reinstate deliveries this week.

Neighbours were baffled by the action, and frustrated at having to travel across the town to collect their post from the sorting office at Huish.

Residents on the street received a letter from Royal Mail delivery office manager Nigel Quick last week saying deliveries would be suspended "with immediate effect".

It read: "A health and safety risk assessment was undertaken and confirmed that the level of risk associated with delivering to your property was unacceptably high due to the threat of further dog attacks."

Mr Hill admitted his dog Milly had attacked a postal worker on two occasions.

The first occasion was around six months ago and happened in the garden of his home. At that time, postal deliveries to his address were suspended.

He admitted Milly again attacked a postal worker on December 10, but did not draw blood.

Milly got out into the street while Mr Hill's son was looking for another dog, Mr Hill said.

He added: "We have had no contact from the post office. The dog warden visited us and asked us to put a spring on the gate and put a letter box outside the garden.

"They cancelled our post around five or six months ago – we have been going to the post office to collect our post.

"To punish everyone in the street and alienate everyone against us, they have gone too far. My wife is getting funny looks from the neighbours."

Mr Hill said both attacks happened in the afternoon and the dog is normally tied up in the mornings.

A spokeswoman for Royal Mail said deliveries to 19 homes in Wentworth Road were reinstated on Tuesday after Mr Hill had agreed measures to restrain Milly. Deliveries to Mr Hill's home remain suspended.

The spokeswoman said: "The resident has agreed measures to keep his dog under stricter control after it attacked and bit one of our postmen when it was running loose in the area.

"This is the second attack involving the same dog. We regrettably had to temporarily suspend deliveries after this attack while a solution could be found to the problem. We apologise to Wentworth Road residents for any inconvenience caused as a result.

"We take the safety of our employees very seriously."

Neighbours are rightly confused, concerned and angry.

Talking Point

How would you feel if this happened to you or your street?