Two arrested as young boy in hospital following ‘terrifying’ dog attack in Birkenhead

A three-year-old boy is in hospital after being bitten on the face by a dog in a ‘terrifying’ attack in Oxton, Birkenhead. The young boy was with a group of other children on Merlin Road when he was mauled, at around 5.50pm on Tuesday evening.

Merseyside Police said the he has ‘significant’ injuries to his cheek and nose and is receiving a ‘considerable amount’ of medical treatment.

The dog, which was a Huntaway Cross Breed, has been humanly destroyed and a 22-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman from Beechwood and Oxton have been arrested on suspicion of being in charge of an out of control dangerous dog in a public place.

Detective Inspector Phil Ryan said: “This a was a terrifying attack. I want to emphasize that dog owners need to be mindful of their dogs’ behaviours at all times, particularly when they are out in public spaces. If owners or anyone who is looking after any dogs that are liable to be aggressive please make sure they are in a protected space and on a lead or muzzled if out in public.”

Merseyside’s dog bite problem: Tuesday’s incident in Birkenhead is the second dog attack in Merseyside in under a week, with a three-year-old being mauled and bitten on the face by a dog in Kirkby over the weekend. Research from the University of Liverpool shows that across the country the greatest number of hospital admissions for dog bites is in the Liverpool City Region, and locals are calling for tighter restrictions on owning dogs.

Contacting the police: If you witnessed the incident or have any information, please contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police Contact Centre. You can also call 101 quoting incident reference 23000845602 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.