A POSTMAN had his groin bitten by a dog in Orpington and had to take a week off work.

Jon Coleman, who has been a postman for four years, was delivering mail to a house in Ravensbury Road, St Paul's Cray, on July 4 when two Staffordshire terriers sitting outside the owner’s property attacked him.

The 24-year-old from Orpington managed to drag one of the beasts away but the other bit his crotch leaving him with horrible injuries.

He said: "It just went for me and caught me out massively.

"The hospital hadn’t seen anything like it before.

"They had not ever seen dog bites in that area."

Staff at Princess Royal Hospital in Farnborough were unable to stitch up the bite injury meaning he was left with an open wound.

Mr Coleman, who has been left with a permanent scar, needed a week off work and says his "personal life" has also been affected as the injury is so painful.

A police spokesman said: "Legislation relating to dogs being dangerously out of control deals with dogs in public places or in private places, where they are not permitted to be. Therefore a dog bite in a house where the dog lives is not covered by the criminal law.

"It is, however, important to remember that victims can seek redress through the civil courts."

Royal Mail has now stopped delivering to the address until the owners put up a mailbox at the garden entrance.

Until then, the owner must collect all post from the delivery office.

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: "Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) are working together to raise awareness of the reality of dog attacks through targeted campaigns and the CWU led Bite Back campaign.

"However, the number of attacks in the BR postcode area  - six in 2011/2012 - remains unacceptably high."

Dave Joyce Health and Safety Officer at the CWU, said: "Thousands of our members are bitten every year and hundreds suffer debilitating injuries every year which leave them with physical and psychological scarring, some with life changing disabilities and all in the course of doing their job."

Royal Mail has already spent more than £100,000 on awareness campaigns and equipment to help postmen and women reduce risk of injury.

In 2009 alone, dog attacks cost the NHS £3.3 million.