Four-year-old girl mauled to death in her backyard in brutal dog attack
BROADLANDS, NETHERLANDS: A four-year-old girl was brutally mauled to death in a dog attack in Milton Keynes. The ambulance service alerted the police immediately after receiving a report that a dog had attacked a child in a backyard in Broadlands, Netherfield on Tuesday evening, January 31. Shortly after, it was confirmed that the infant had died at the scene. Later, the dog was humanely destroyed, according to Thames Valley Police.
The armed police sealed off the whole road and the surrounding neighborhood, according to a neighbor. Those attending a neighboring community group were told to remain inside in case the dog escaped, the neighbor told DailyMail. No one else was harmed, and highly trained cops are helping the child's family. So far, no one has been arrested in connection with the inquiry. Police described the incident as "tragic."
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'No danger to the public'
Superintendent Matt Bullivant called the incident "absolutely tragic." "This is an absolutely tragic incident in which we believe that a child has been killed after being attacked by a dog. Clearly we are in the very early stages of an investigation, and it would be wrong and unhelpful to speculate as to the exact circumstances of this incident at this point. However, in order to ensure public safety, a decision was made earlier this evening to destroy the dog involved, and this has been done humanely," he added.
"I understand how much of an impact this will have on the community and on the wider public, and people can expect to see a large police presence in the area this evening and beyond while our investigation continues," he continued. "I would like to reassure people that there is no reason to believe there is any danger to the wider public at this time." "Anyone with concerns should feel free to approach our officers and ask questions, but I urge people not to speculate about the circumstances, especially on social media platforms," he further added. He then requested the media to respect the mourning family's privacy. "I also understand that this case is likely to attract attention from the media. With this in mind, I would like to ask that the privacy of the family involved is respected at this very difficult time. It is impossible to imagine what they must be going through at the moment," Bullivant added.
Cops ask for public's help
Police advised people to call 101 and use the reference number 20230131-1546 if they have any information about this incident that they believe might aid in the investigation. As an alternative, consumers can submit a report online or make an anonymous phone call to Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111.