Boy, 11 in serious condition after dog attack in Speke

A man's been arrested a man after a boy was attacked by a dog in Speke on Sunday.

Officers were called to Stapleton Avenue at around 5.35pm following a report that one of two dogs had bitten the child to the legs and arms, face and back.

Police took the boy, aged 11, to Alder Hey Children’s' Hospital where he remains in a serious, but not life-threatening, condition.

A man was arrested for having a dog dangerously out of control in a public place, under Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act. he has been taken to a police station for interview.

At this stage the dogs have not been traced and police are appealing for information on their whereabouts.

Gary Gaze was one of the first people to come to the boys' aid : "You hear screams all the time but I had screams that I've never heard before and I thought that's unusual. I realised it was a little boy and I can hear him saying 'get them off me' so I jumped on my fence and I could see in the distance two dogs swinging off a kid."

Chief Inspector Keith McLachlan said: "This was a horrific attack which has resulted in a boy suffering extensive injuries to his head and body. I want to reassure people that he is now getting the best possible care and treatment for his injuries at Alder Hey Children’s' Hospital.

"An extensive investigation is underway to establish exactly what has happened and to determine the breed of dogs involved. I would appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident, who may have information which could help us find the dogs or help with our investigation to come forward as soon as possible.

"This case highlights in the starkest terms the potential dangers of dogs and I would appeal to anyone with information about dangerous dogs in their area to contact us so that we can take pro-active action."

House-to-house inquiries are being carried out in the area and CCTV opportunities are being explored.