Evil postman’s shocking dog kick shows why Ring doorbells are vital – EVERY home in Britain should have one

THEY are a godsend when you actually have God-botherers on your doorstep, aren’t they? A quick glance at the Ring doorbell app and you can hide behind the sofa. A Royal Mail delivery driver booted little Ethel so hard that she hurtled through the air, then rolled three times on the ground because of the force Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd The 11-year-old Shih Tzu later had to be put down Credit: Doug Seeburg Or, go the extra convincing mile and put the microphone on to tell them you’ve just nipped to Tesco. And you won’t be back for at least three hours or so. Ear-chewing averted. But many argue these clever doorbell cameras are an invasion of privacy. Civil liberties groups like Big Brother Watch complain that they can contribute to a culture where everyone is constantly monitored and may infringe on our neighbours’ trust. Some housing complexes have even banned them completely. There are moans that they can film neighbours and passers-by without their knowledge, record what people say on your doorstep and some are even panicking that the police or other authorities can request their footage. But I don’t care — I couldn’t live without mine and am quite happy to be an out and proud snooper. This week, what happened to a poor, defenceless dog in broad daylight shows why every home in Britain should have a Ring doorbell fitted. When a Royal Mail worker delivered a parcel to Eve Lewis’ home, he turned away from her house, headed to his van and kicked her Shih Tzu on the way past. He booted little Ethel so hard that she hurtled through the air, then rolled three times on the ground because of the force. The 11-year-old later had to be put down. Such cruelty defies belief. There was no possible rational explanation. Ethel wasn’t a snarling XL Bully — she was a tiny, partially blind pooch who was no threat to the postman and had done absolutely nothing wrong. This vile human being simply appeared to kick her because he could.When the owner asked why he did it, the postie denied all knowledge. He would probably have got away with it, too, if it wasn’t for that pesky footage. It seems so incomprehensible to right-thinking people that anybody would hurt or abuse an innocent animal for the fun of it. But thanks to the proof in that heartbreaking clip, he’s been suspended. If more of us had these cameras, it would stop idiots like this in their tracks because they’d know that every move they made could be filmed. Recently, my entire street had our sheds ransacked and bikes nicked. When Greater Manchester Police came to investigate, one of the first things they did was to take my doorbell footage. It was good to know I’d done my bit to help, and try to stop the thieves from striking again. Doorbell footage can often be crucial evidence, too. It helped to convict PC Wayne Couzens of the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021, connecting a sighting with bus dashcam footage and street CCTV to piece together her tragic last moments. During the trial of Brianna Ghey’s killers, jurors were shown some of the last moments of her life that a doorbell camera had captured. There have been countless cases where burglars have been caught and violent crimes solved thanks to doorbell footage. I hope the video evidence of the man who booted Ethel means he has delivered his last post. I hope it leads to more cameras in public view to protect dogs — and humans — from the violent, unpredictable thugs that are sadly lurking about. And if you ever come to my house, remember to smile . . . you’re on camera. Nap clause? Prue genius Prue Leith makes sure her lawyers put a 60-minute snooze clause into her contracts Credit: Getty HOW wonderful it must be to work with Prue Leith. The 86-year-old Bake Off judge makes sure her lawyers put a 60-minute snooze clause into her contracts which means, she says, that “everyone has to stop what they are doing for an hour”. We should all have an octogenarian, with a water-tight contract, in the workplace. BLAME MA AND PA TOO Cyber criminals Jubair and Flowers WHEN will parents learn? Thalha Jubair, 20, and Owen Flowers, 18, have been dubbed Britain’s worst cyber hackers and banged up for five-and-a-half years each. But Jubair’s parents are guilty, too – of being neglectful and stupid. They pushed him into the cyber world at an age when he should have still been playing with his toy cars and learning nursery rhymes. Because his dad, a care worker, and mum, who worked with special needs, apparently gave their son a smartphone at the age of FOUR and a laptop by SEVEN. How appalling. By the time he was 13, he’d been recruited via gaming platforms to the notorious Scattered Spider network. By 18, this teenage loner live-streamed the cyber attack on Transport for London that forced the organisation to “pull the plug” on its own systems, from his bedroom. He laughed about causing billions of pounds in losses to large companies and boasted about accessing celebrities’ bank accounts. Of course, his parents never imagined this grim outcome for their son, and millions of children with phones do not go on to become cyber criminals who wreak havoc in such a malicious way. Yes, Jubair may well have gone down this path eventually, but bringing that lad up online undoubtedly didn’t help. It’s too late for this family now but it’s a bloody good warning to deter other parents from being so stupid. WISE WORDS ONE of my friends gives up her spare room in London so foreign students have a bed while they’re studying English over here. Last weekend, a lovely Argentinian lady arrived to take up residence and was armed with an etiquette checklist of the things one should and shouldn’t do when visiting England. Top of that list was: “Don’t cheer in a pub if Argentina score against England.” Smart. GREAT WORK, LADIES Lisa Faulkner announced she’d had surgery after being diagnosed with the early stages of breast cancer Credit: Instagram IN a world where we often slag off social media and all its nastiness and attention-seeking nonsense, let’s also give some gratitude for it, for once. As I love a bit of cookery, I follow many chefs online. I was watching when Lisa Faulkner announced she’d had surgery after being diagnosed with the early stages of breast cancer. Then this week I saw Thomasina Miers post that she’d had a mastectomy and urged women to get checked for lumps. More than half a million people follow these two women so their important message has been spread far and wide. Used in the right way, social media really can be a lifesaver. Ant bet Dec that he couldn’t grow a beard, his sidekick tried to prove he could and showed off his new look on the latest episode of their podcast Credit: YouTube/@beltabox AFTER Ant bet Dec that he couldn’t grow a beard, his sidekick tried to prove he could and showed off his new look on the latest episode of their podcast. Ant asked his mate while filming it: “Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah. Do you have a beard?!” Dec laughed and replied: “I do have a suggestion of a beard at the moment.” What a way to knock off the years because that looks nothing like a beard and could easily pass for teenage bumfluff. A FARE MOVE THE Department for Transport is installing extra-tall ticket barriers to try to recoup some of the £400million a year lost to fare-dodgers. Good luck to them. I’ve lost count of the number of idiots I’ve seen jumping over or pushing through the gates. At Euston station, it always baffles me when the platform for a train gets announced and people of all ages shove past each other to board as though it was the last Titanic lifeboat. They are fighting to get on a train on which they have already got a pre-booked seat. Absolute madness. The World Cup has been like marriage counselling for me and the Geordie Credit: Getty THE World Cup has been like marriage counselling for me and the Geordie. As it all got exceedingly tense on Wednesday night, he turned to me and said: “Do you get it now? This is what I feel like every single time Newcastle play.” Suddenly, it hit home and I understood his passion. Now I’m dreading the new ­season more than ever.