Shocking moment postman seen kicking puppy in face before being confronted by owner

A postman has been caught on video seemingly kicking a customer's puppy in the face while delivering mail. Footage discovered on a door camera showed the postie kicking the puppy just after posting some letters. Nikki Walker, 49, who lives at the property with her one-year-old cockapoo Bella, was working from home at the time of the incident.

She said her heard the garden gate open and jumped out of a ground-floor window to the front of the house and soon after Nikki heard a squeal from Bella. After she questioned the postman, he denied kicking her pet and told her to "do what the f*** she wants" after Nikki threatened to check the footage captured on her camera. When she checked the video, it showed the postie kicking the pooch in the face. In the video, Bella can be seen running over to the postman before he turns around and kicks the rescue pup in the face with his right boot. Bella is sent backwards and runs off, before Nikki comes to the door.

When she questioned the Royal Mail worker, Nikki alleges he claimed he "put my leg up to stop Bella from jumping", but she did not believe this.

She has complained to Royal Mail and said she has been offered £100 and a home visit from a staff member. However, she wants all correspondence in writing and so rejected the latter offer.

The postman in question has now been removed from the round and will not deliver to Nikki's address on her request, though Royal Mail have said two other posties have reported Bella growling at them.

The company said their "first priority as an employer" is to "ensure the welfare and safety" of their staff.

Nikki described Bella as a "faithful, cuddle-loving" puppy and said she had never bitten anyone.

She posted the video to Facebook, where users said the postman was a "scumbag" and called for his dismissal from the postal service.

Nikki added: "When I heard yelping I quickly ran outside the front door. When I asked what she's yelping at he said he didn't know. I asked if he'd kicked the dog and he said 'no, I put my leg up to stop her from jumping'.

"That won't be the case because he put his leg back and kicked. I knew he was lying to me. I told him I'd check the camera then he said 'do what the f*** you want'."

"Bella ran into the house, curled and cowered on the sofa and that's not like her. I knew something had happened. I sat next to her to watch the video and when I did I was absolutely fuming. She was wagging her tail. She wasn't aggressive or barking.

"She's a faithful puppy. She loves cuddles, attention and she'd sit on your knee for hours. If he'd have done that to my last dog he'd have killed her. My daughter watched the video and she was absolutely mortified."

She claims Royal Mail threatened not to deliver to her address unless she ensures Bella is kept away from staff, while the fencing required to maintain deliveries would cost around £80.

Nikki continued: "It's as if my dog is dangerous. It's really annoyed me. She's not a rottweiler or a big alsatian and she's never bitten anybody."

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: "We are aware of an incident involving one of our postmen and a dog in Leeds. Our first priority as an employer is to ensure the welfare and safety of our people who provide a valuable service to our customers.

"The vast majority of dog owners are very responsible and keep their pets under control, However, last year, there were over 2,200 dog attacks on postmen and women in the UK - some resulting in life-changing injuries.We continue to appeal to dog owners to secure their pets when the postie arrives to help reduce the number of attacks, particularly at the door and in the garden."