Royal Mail said that 65 of their workers have been injured since 2012 in the DT postcode area.

In 2016/17 there were 11 attacks, up from seven in 2015/16 – an increase of 57%.

With statistics showing the number of attacks is set to rise during the summer holidays, experts are pleading with dog owners to take precautions.

Robert Kelly, regional head of safety, health and environment for the Royal Mail, said changing trends are responsible for the increase in attack.

People are receiving fewer letters, but the rise in online shopping means postmen and women are more likely to have to knock on doors to get recipients to sign for parcels, increasing the risk of attack.

He said: “We are delivering more parcels, a lot more items that require customer signatures and what we are seeing is that risk increasing, because more customers have to open the door to receive or sign for their items. Most dogs can be fairly territorial if they are not secured away in another room.”

Dog attacks on postmen may sounds like a bad joke, but Mr Kelly said they can have serious consequences.

“There’s a misconception that it’s an occupational hazard but it can be really distressing. There have been some significant injuries, puncture wounds to the neck, face or torso which may require stitches, for instance. Another common injury is fractures from when people have moved away from the dog and fallen over.”

It’s not just physical injuries workers have to suffer.

Mr Kelly added: “From a psychological perspective, if you have been attacked by a dog that’s always going to be in your head. It’s distressing for the owners as well, to have to deal with the aftermath.”

Nationally there were 2,400 dog attacks on postmen and women last year, down seven per cent on the previous year.

Dog owners are being urged to secure their dogs in another room if they need to open the door to receive mail or parcels. If children are in the house, make sure they know the risks and know not to open the door if a dog is loose.

Consider putting a basket over your letterbox on the inside of the door if your dog is aggressive, which will protect both the postman and the letters. If this isn’t suitable, consider getting a box to put on the outside of the house.

If the dog roams freely in the grounds, consider securing it away at times when the postman is likely to deliver mail.

Mr Kelly said: “Our number one priority is keeping our workers safe. We just want to get the message out there that simple things can make a huge difference.”