An 84-year-old man was seriously injured in the dog attack, which took place on a residential street (Image: Getty)
A man heroically used a yard brush to fend off what was believed to be an as it savagely attacked an elderly man. The incident, which occurred at approximately 6.40pm on Monday, prompted armed police to rush to the scene after receiving reports of the pensioner being viciously assaulted by the unrestrained canine.
The 84-year-old victim was ambushed by the dog, which had broken loose from a nearby property on Bardsley Avenue in Warrington, and sustained severe injuries in the attack. Responding officers from were forced to shoot the dog dead outside the house due to its immense size and aggression.
Inside the residence, a second suspected XL Bully was also fatally shot, and a third smaller was taken into custody. The police discharged 19 rounds at the animals, citing “the sheer size and ferocity of these animals” as the reason for the use of lethal force.
Vic, a local resident who witnessed the ordeal from across the street, recounted the harrowing event to , saying, “I saw everything happen”. He described the chilling moment: “I was looking through the kitchen window and saw a guy lying on the floor in the driveway over the road. I thought he’d had a heart attack. Then I saw this massive dog.”
The pensioner was attacked by the dog while walking along Bardsley Avenue in Warrington (Image: Echo)
Desperate to save the man, Vic explained, “I ran over and battered it with my yard brush. I cracked it over the head, but it didn’t work. It wouldn’t get off him. I should have got a knife from the kitchen, really, but I didn’t think. I just grabbed the brush. If I’d had a gun handy I’d have used that.”
Vic was able to call a neighbour for assistance, who then alerted the police. He recalled that armed officers quickly responded to the incident.
“The police arrived and we were told to get inside,” he explained. “We had to move away because the dog could have attacked us. All the neighbours were out in the street. I went back inside and looked through the window and saw the police shoot the dog dead. There were four or five shots.”
The experience appeared to have left Vic shaken. Although he didn’t know the elderly victim personally, he was deeply disturbed by the sight of him lying helpless on the ground. “It was really horrible,” he said.
“I’m traumatised by what happened. There was blood on my boots and over my brush. It was everywhere.”
A forensics expert takes a yardbrush out of a cordoned off property (Image: Echo)
He mentioned that he had left his brush outside after the incident, and it was later taken away by the police. When the ECHO visited the scene on February 25, a forensics team was seen taking a yard brush away in a plastic bag.As a dog lover and former owner of several dogs, Vic expressed concern about how a dangerous dog was allowed to roam free and carry out the attack.
“Why was that dog outside? “, he asked. “I’ve no idea.”
Another neighbour commented that while the street had experienced its share of problems over the years, a dog attack was unprecedented.
“Everyone round here has pretty little things with pink leads and slippers – you don’t see any bullies.”
The victim, a local man, was taken to Aintree Hospital, where his condition is currently described as critical but stable. Enquiries in relation to the incident are ongoing and a 29-year-old woman has since been arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a dog dangerously out of control causing serious injury.
She is currently being held in police custody assisting officers with their enquiries. Police are still trying to locate a 40-year-old man in relation to the incident.
Cheshire Constabulary Chief Constable Mark Roberts said: “This was an innocent man who was simply walking in the street when he was horrifically attacked by a suspected unregistered XL Bully. These dogs are like weapons; their physical attributes can make it like owning a loaded firearm with a questionable safety catch.
“The sheer size and ferocity of these animals mean that our firearms officers had to discharge 19 shots into them – all of which hit their targets – in order bring the incident to a conclusion and ensure the safety of the public. While the victim is now receiving the treatment that he requires, there is no doubt that this incident will impact him for the rest of his life.
“The danger to the public that these dogs pose is well known, which is why Cheshire Constabulary has been extremely proactive in enforcing the new regulations. So far we have already removed more than 100 XL Bullies from the streets of Cheshire, and we are committed to doing all we can to ensure that those who don’t comply with the new regulations are held accountable.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Cheshire Police at www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us, or call 101, quoting IML 2034464. For more details in relation to the laws surrounding XL Bully dogs visit – Ban on XL Bully dogs – GOV.UK.