17th Dog Attack Fatality in the UK

[brothermagrew]

LTB 372/13 dated 29th May 2013

Liverpool Man Killed By Neighbours Dogs in his Back Garden - 17th Dog Attack Fatality in UK - CWU 'Bite-Back' Campaign Update:


Branches will know from press and media reports over the weekend that yet another person lost their life in a dog attack when 79 years old Clifford Clarke was attacked and killed in his own back garden by his next door neighbour's dogs in Liverpool. This fatal dog attack follows closely after another recent tragedy when 14 years old Jade Lomas-Anderson was killed by her friend's mother's dogs in her friend's house in Wigan.


The following Press Statement has been issued by the CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department and a letter has been sent to Ministers in similar terms;-


"The Communication Workers Union has been campaigning through their high profile 'Bite-Back' campaign for changes to the UK's dog control laws since two Postman were nearly killed by dogs during the Christmas periods of 2007 and 2008, one in Sheffield and one in Cambridge. They were amongst 6,500 Postal workers attacked that year. 23,000 Postal Workers have subsequently been injured in dog attacks in the last six years.


The CWU's National Health and Safety Officer Dave Joyce who has spearheaded the 'Bite-Back' campaign which has resulted in the introduction of new Dangerous Dogs Laws in Scotland and Northern Ireland plus the recent Westminster UK government announcement of proposed new dog control law changes for England and Wales said;-

'This is another terrible, unnecessary and avoidable death due to a dog attack, this time in Liverpool on an elderly, frail and defenceless pensioner, 79 year old Clifford Clarke, who didn't stand a chance of defending himself. This is fatal dog attack number 17 in the UK - all bar one of them happening since 2005 and worryingly they are becoming more frequent. If the UK government had listened to the CWU and acted quicker in changing and toughening Dangerous Dogs Laws, plus enforcement and sentencing, along with raising public awareness and education, then lives would have been saved and many injuries avoided. The CWU warned of this years ago but no one in Westminster was listening. The UK government has spent years procrastinating and promising to act and in that time too many people have lost their lives and millions more have been injured by dogs with the injuries getting worse and deaths becoming more frequent.'


'On average 12 Postal Workers are attacked by dogs every day and 1 BT worker is attacked every week. We need action now to strengthen the Dangerous Dogs Laws and the government has got to give Police and Dog Wardens the resources to clamp down on bad dog owners and deal with what is clearly an 'out of control' situation in the UK.'


'The government also needs to go further than their new dangerous dogs law proposals, recently announced. We need preventative Dog Control Notices introduced to immediately be served on Dog Owners with out of control animals and so avoid attacks, instead of waiting for the aftermath.'


'This latest fatal attack in Liverpool could have quite easily have been one of our Postal Worker members turning up and walking into that garden to make a delivery or maybe a young child retrieving a lost ball.'


'Postal workers could be on borrowed time before this does happen to a Royal Mail worker and that has really concerned me for some time.'


' Irresponsible dog ownership is a blight on UK Society.' concluded Dave Joyce.


The CWU has sent condolences and deepest sympathies to the friends and family of the victim Clifford Clarke, who according to reports was a popular local man."


As an update on the 'Bite-Back' Campaign, branches will know that after 3 years of hard campaigning and pressing the Westminster government, through every possible avenue, at every opportunity, our campaign secured the introduction of a new Dog Control Bill for England and Wales which extends the Law to cover private property, closing the legal loophole which presently gives immunity from prosecution in three quarters of the dog attacks on CWU Postal and Telecom members. The government are also bringing in compulsory microchipping for all dogs and are making positive changes to the law governing the seizure of dangerous dogs by the Police.


Supported by the Labour Opposition Ministers and MPs and the CWU group of MPs, we have been pressing for a timetable for the new legislation and the government have given a commitment to introduce the Bill in this current session of parliament. Thus, we are awaiting the Bill's first reading in the Houses of Parliament. The CWU had made good progress in Wales with the Welsh government who were about to introduce their own Dog Control Law like Scotland and Northern Ireland had. However the Welsh Minister decided (under pressure from Westminster) to suspend the proposed introduction of a Welsh Bill and instead support the UK government Bill covering England and Wales. That was disappointing as it was a better Bill and would have come into effect quicker for Wales had it proceeded. Nevertheless, we do now have a bill proposed in Westminster.


The main issue we have with the Westminster Bill is the absence of "Dog Control Notices". The coalition Government's position is that the same purpose can be served by the new 'flexible' Orders issued under the new Anti-Social Behaviour proposals due to be introduced next year. A meeting is scheduled to take place with both Home Office Ministry Officials and Defra Ministry Officials to discuss this within the next fortnight and beyond that the legislation will be debated in the UK Parliament where we will be lobbying for amendments to strengthen the legislation as it progresses through the parliamentary process.


Further reports will be made in due course.

Yours sincerely

DAVE JOYCE
NATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY OFFICER

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/dog ... rd-4025039" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/cl ... er-1913283" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;