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Postmen have come out in support of a Royal Mail worker who kicked a blind Shih Tzu 'like a football' – before it later died from organ failure.

An unidentified delivery man was seen booting the dog, Ethel, outside a family home in Buckinghamshire earlier this month.

The 11–year–old pet was partially blind and had only one tooth, so posed no threat, her owner said.

But fellow postal workers have now defended the driver for his actions – with some saying they have kicked dogs themselves and 'would do it again'.

One postman told the Telegraph: 'Kicked a terrier that bit my leg to get it off me, and I would do it again.

'I would say about 10 of us in my office have been bitten. It's very common, and it's always the dogs that have 'never done that before'.'

Another said: 'I felt for that dog and the owner but I also felt for the postie.'

A third postman, based in the South East, said he was 'on his side', adding: 'If you know the area you can do your best to keep safe – if you don't then you're supposed to not take any risks.'

A postman wearing an England shirt was caught on camera kicking a blind shih tzu 'like a football'

The man allegedly denied attacking Ethel, but Ring doorbell footage showed that he had, just seconds after he handed over a parcel

Ms Lewis made the difficult decision to put Ethel down after the vet said she had suffered irreversible brain damage

Last year, around 2,019 dog attacks were reported on postal workers, according to Royal Mail.

Of these, 61 had caused significant injuries to employees.

Eve Lewis, 40, said the man denied attacking her dog Ethel, but Ring doorbell footage showed he had - just seconds after he handed over a parcel.

She said: 'The driver was walking away and still made the effort to turn around and kick her.

'He didn't just kick her, he toe punted her like she was a football. She flew up in the air and hit the ground and rolled three times.'

The NHS worker, who lives with her five-year-old son and their other dog, Stanley, a French bulldog, also described her panic after the attack.

She took Ethel from their home in Aylesbury to the vets, but was told she could not be saved.

'Her blood pressure dropped and they put tubes up her nose. Then they said there's internal bleeding.

'At this point, I'm thinking, "This literally can't be happening." From then on, it was just a complete blur.

'I went home overnight, but when I came back to the vets in the morning, she was pretty much already out of it,' Ms Lewis added.

Ms Lewis made the difficult decision to put Ethel down after the vet said she had suffered irreversible brain damage.

Royal Mail said: 'We are deeply sorry for this distressing incident, and we know how upsetting it is for the family.

'We are treating this matter very seriously. We have seen the footage and launched a full investigation to establish the circumstances. We have also confirmed to the family that we will cover the veterinary costs.

'We take animal welfare and the safety of our people very seriously. Dog–related incidents can present a serious risk to postal workers, and we will take any appropriate action once our investigation is complete.'

Thames Valley Police previously said no arrests had been made but that there were 'ongoing enquiries regarding animal welfare and criminal damage incidents'.