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Three-week old baby dies after being bitten by dog in Sunderland | Three-week old baby dies after being bitten by dog in Sunderland |
(about 5 hours later) | |
A three-week old baby has died after being bitten by a dog in Sunderland. | A three-week old baby has died after being bitten by a dog in Sunderland. |
Police received reports a baby boy had been bitten by a dog inside an address in Falkland Road at about 04:15 BST. | Police received reports a baby boy had been bitten by a dog inside an address in Falkland Road at about 04:15 BST. |
He was taken to hospital where he later died. Police said the small terrier dog had been removed from the address and is likely to be destroyed. | He was taken to hospital where he later died. Police said the small terrier dog had been removed from the address and is likely to be destroyed. |
Northumbria Police said a 30-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the incident. Inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances. | Northumbria Police said a 30-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the incident. Inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances. |
A neighbour said the baby was a "lovely bairn". | |
She said: "They're all right [the family], they're no bother and his wife, she looks after them bairns, she was over the moon with her little boy. | |
"It's a shock more than anything else, I cannot get over it. It's shocking." | |
Flowers have been laid against the front wall of the house, along with cards bearing messages of support. | |
Superintendent Gillian Mitchell said: "As you can appreciate, we have concerns with regards to the care of the child at the time this incident occurred. | |
"They [the family] are absolutely devastated as you would imagine, it's tragic to lose a child at any stage, but in these circumstances it is just unbelievable. | |
"They are receiving support... it is a very difficult time, the officers attending the scene this morning were faced with quite a significant incident to deal with. | |
"It's a tragic isolated incident and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the baby and indeed our officers who have dealt with this incident." | |
Police said additional officers were in the area to provide reassurance to support the public during an "horrendous time in the community". | |
A police car remains parked directly outside the front of the property. | |
Police said the family's dog posed no threat to the wider public and is now in secure kennels. | |
More than 200,000 people a year are estimated to be bitten by dogs in England, according to research for the British Medical Journal. | |
Since 2005, 22 people have been killed by dogs in the UK, 12 of them children, according to the Office for National Statistics. |