Police seize XL Bully after 'horrific' attack on an eight-year-old boy in Bootle

A man and a woman have been charged after an eight-year-old boy was bitten on the head in a 'horrific' attack by an XL Bully. Officers were called to an address in Bootle, Merseyside, just after 5:20pm on Saturday, 10 February, after the alarm was raised about the incident.

The boy was taken to hospital for treatment of serious head injuries, where he remains in a serious but stable condition. Merseyside Police has seized the dog, which was destroyed later on Saturday with the agreement of the owner.

It happened in the communal area of a block of flats on Wadham Road.

Following a series of fatal attacks involving XL bully dogs, a new law has made it a criminal offence to own the pet without a certificate.

But there are concerns that thousands of XL bullies are still unregistered across the country.

In a statement the force said house-to-house enquiries have been carried out in the area and all CCTV opportunities are being explored. It is understood a number of witnesses have already been spoken to at the scene but officers are appealing for more people to come forward and assist the police.

Amanda Young, 49, and Lewis Young, 30, both of Wadham Road in Bootle, have been charged with being a person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury. They are not related to the child who was injured.

Both will appear before Liverpool Magistreates Court on Monday, 12 February.

Detective Inspector Gary Stratton said: "This was a horrific attack which has left a young child requiring emergency surgery for injuries to his head. “I want to reassure people that he is receiving the best possible care and treatment for his injuries, which are described as life-changing. "We have seized the dog and extensive efforts are underway to establish exactly what happened. I want to appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident, who may have information, 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."

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