Dog which killed Merseyside toddler Bella-Rae Birch was not a banned breed

The dog which mauled and killed 17-month-old Bella-Rae Birch at her home in St Helens was not a banned breed, say police.

In a statement, Merseyside Police said tests had confirmed the dog involved was an American Bully XL - a legal breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. 

Bella-Rae's family had only bought the dog a week before her death. They are being supported by specialist officers.The police said Bella-Rae had lost her life in the most "unimaginably terrible circumstances", adding the community had "woken up to the most tragic news".

Officers were called at 3.50pm on Monday after reports a child had been attacked by a dog at an address in the Blackbrook area of the town.

Bella-Rae was rushed to hospital, but later died of her injuries.

The dog was handed over to police and has been humanely destroyed.

Bella-Rae's mother paid tribute to her "gorgeous blue-eyed girl".

A fundraising page has been set up by the family to help pay towards a 'beautiful send off' for Bella-Rae.

On the GoFundMe page, Bella Rae's mum Treysharn Bates wrote: "On the 21st of March we sadly lost our gorgeous blue-eyed baby girl.

"We are now in a position where we need to raise funds towards the most beautiful send off. Every little will help, every little is appreciated. Thank you everyone"

The police say they are still looking for witnesses and information about the incident.

Anyone who can help is asked to contact the Merseyside Police social media desk on Twitter at @MerPolCC or 'Merseyside Police Contact Centre' on Facebook, quoting reference 22000196837.Alternatively, you can call 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.