Published at 16:34, Friday, 28 December 2012

A PET cat stands accused of posing a danger to posties – prompting a full risk assessment from the Royal Mail.

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By Jonathan Humphries

The owner of two-year-old Biscuit received a letter threatening to cut off her post, which she described as “ridiculous”.

Judith Phizacklea, of Clarence Road, Barrow, was informed by Scott Allan, delivery office manager at the Royal Mail in Abbey Road, that postal workers were “experiencing difficulties in delivering mail because of the actions of a cat”.

The letter states the Royal Mail had carried out a health and safety risk assessment because Biscuit stands behind the letterbox and “scratches with its paws”.

Mrs Phizacklea said: “It seems ridiculous, he has never been aggressive. He likes to pull the letters out of the mailbox but no one has ever complained before.”

The letter requested Mrs Phizacklea install a letter cage on the inside of her letterbox, or a dedicated post box on the exterior of their property, within 14 days or have deliveries to their property suspended.

Her daughter Rebecca Phizacklea, 19, said: “I just laughed... You would think he was a huge Rottweiler chasing them up the street according to that letter.”

Biscuit was adopted after being found in a cardboard box by a canal in Ulverston two years ago.

“He was quite ill when we picked him up, but he’s a lovely cat,” said Mrs Phizacklea.

Val Bodden, a Royal Mail spokeswoman, said: “We deliver to almost 29 million addresses so it is always a last resort if we decide to contact a customer about a delivery issue.

“There are around 4,000 animal attacks a year on Royal Mail people and these attacks, however great or small, cause great distress and in too many cases serious injuries. Our main aim is to prevent attacks.

“If we feel that there is a risk from a dog, cat, or any other animal at an individual address, we are committed to working with the customer to agree simple steps to ensure that we can deliver the mail safely.

“We always welcome the co-operation of our customers for takingresponsibility for keeping their pets under control.”

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk