Appeal following dog attack in Dovecot

We are appealing for information following a dog attack in Dovecot on Saturday (22 June).

It was reported a ten-year-old boy was bitten by a dog in a field on Pilch Lane at around 7pm. A 39-year-old man was also bitten and suffered a minor injury when he tried to help the young boy.

The boy sustained two lacerations to his right forearm, his injuries are not serious. He was taken to hospital for treatment before being discharged. He is now recovering at home.

Three bull terrier type dogs were unaccompanied on the field and one dog approached the boy who was playing football and bit him.

Two of the dogs were located quickly and held by officers for 24 hours, the third dog was later located and taken away by officers and is being held while the incident is investigated. Two of the dogs, who had not caused any injuries during the incident were collected by the owner. The dogs are not a banned breed.

Enquiries into the incident are ongoing.

Detective Inspector Phil Mahon said: “It must have been frightening for a young boy to be attacked by a dog in this way when all he wanted to do was play football. We are keen to speak to any witnesses who may have seen the incident or this dog on previous occasions.

"I want to emphasise that anyone owning a dog needs to be mindful of their dogs' behaviour at all times and keep their pet on a lead if it is liable to be aggressive.

"Children should be able to play outside free of the fear of being attacked in this way and we will not tolerate irresponsible dog ownership on Merseyside."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the social media desk @MerPolCC, call 101 with reference 19100328438 or you can call or the independent charity @CrimestoppersUK anonymously, on 0800 555 111. You can also use their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.