Statistics revealed by Royal Mail this week show that its employees are more likely to be attacked by canines when out on delivery rounds than ever before, according to the Telegraph.

There was a 40 per cent spike in the number of reported incidents of this kind during the past year. Some observers are linking this to the fact that more people are ordering goods via safe shopping online, which in turn means more packages are being delivered nationwide.

Report spokesperson Shaun Daivs made this connection, saying that it is no surprise to see a rise in reported dog attacks in an age when e-commerce is becoming more influential across the UK.

Some of the attacks are especially serious and lead to workers suffering injuries that permanently impact their mobility, so this is something that needs to be addressed if safe shopping online continues to grow at current rates.

Royal Mail recommends that people keep dogs shut in a separate room when they take delivery of any parcel, since if they are loose, there is a much greater chance that they will end up in an altercation with postal staff.

In addition to the fact that more parcels are being shipped today, requiring customers to open the door to take delivery, Royal Mail also points out that more signed-for letters are being sent, which is exacerbating the issue.

This problem could be complicated further if Amazon pursues its plans to roll out smart locks and allow delivery workers to enter customers’ properties to drop off packages when they are not there in person to receive them.

Until attitudes change and dog owners adjust their habits, it seems inevitable that this kind of incident is going to become ever more common.