Four year old mauled to death by dog

A four-year-old boy has been killed at his home in Liverpool, UK, after being mauled to death by a dog. A sixty-three-year old woman has also been hospitalised in the attack.

The four-year-old boy was attacked just after midnight at home in Ashgrove in the Wavertree area of Liverpool. It's thought that the sixty-three-year-old woman was injured as she tried to help the child by pulling the dog from him. It's not known whether the woman is a relative of the child or not. The dog was shot dead in the front garden of the property by armed officers from Merseyside Police. Dog handlers and armed response officers also attended the scene and an investigation is underway. The identity of the breed of dog is not yet known. Chief Superintendent, Steve Ashley said, "This is a tragic incident and a full and thorough investigation will be carried out into the circumstances surrounding this young boy's death. Officers are with the family and our sympathies are with them at this time. Of utmost importance in such incidents is the safety of the public and of police officers. When officers arrived at the address the dog was in an agitated state in the front garden of the property and was deemed to be a danger to the public. As a result we were left with no other option but to have the animal destroyed quickly and humanely." The house where the boy was attacked was still surrounded in police tape on Monday morning. Local people spoke of their shock at the death but also said that there was a problem with dangerous dogs in the area. In the UK the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act prohibits the possession of some types of dogs that are generally bred for fighting. Neighbour Gillian Watson, forty-six, had heard the gunshot which destroyed the dog. She said, "It's such a terrible thing to happen to a family. There are lots of dangerous-type dogs around here. You always see young lads with pit bull dogs roaming around. I have a dog myself and when I take him for a walk sometimes it's quite terrifying because you think your dog is going to be attacked." Another neighbour who wanted to remain anonymous said that local residents had already spoken with the local Housing Association about the problem in the area with dangerous dogs. He said, "You see them all the time, they're huge animals and it is very threatening." Almost three years ago, a few miles away in St Helens, five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson was killed on New Years Day 2007 and being mauled by her uncles pit bull terrier.