Boy taken to hospital after being attacked by 'XL Bully' in Blackburn

A boy has been taken to hospital after being attacked and bitten by a dog believed to be an XL Bully.

Video shared on social media appears to show the dog latching on to the boy's coat before the adult he is with, alongside two members of the public, try to free him.

One man can be seen trying to pry open the dog’s mouth to free the youngster while another runs off to find help.

Prior to the incident, the child and an adult were walking down Cedar Street in Blackburn, at around 12.20pm on Saturday 18 November.

As they approached a junction near a local mosque, the boy quickly turns around and moves closer to the adult before a dog runs towards them and latches on to his coat.

Lancashire Police says it was alerted at 12.30pm to report a boy had been bitten by a dog and he was taken to hospital for treatment.

No details have been released about the nature or severity of his injuries.

A 27-year-old man from Blackburn was arrested, and has since been released on bail.

In a statement, a force spokesperson said: "A man has been arrested following an incident where a child was bitten by a dog.

"We were called at around 12.30pm on Saturday November 18 to reports a 10-year-old boy had been bitten to the top of one leg while walking on Cedar Street, Blackburn.

"The dog – which at this time we believe is an XL Bulldog type – has been seized.

"A short time later it was reported that threats had been made towards the family of the victim.

"A 27-year-old man from Blackburn was arrested on suspicion of assault – ABH and affray and has since been bailed pending further enquiries."