Forensic work continues to take place
By James W Kelly & PA Media
BBC News
A woman in her 50s has died after she was attacked by her two registered XL bullies at a house in east London.
The woman was treated by paramedics at the home in Cornwall Close, Hornchurch, but died at the scene on Monday afternoon.
The two dogs were seized by armed officers after being contained in a room.
It is believed to be the first fatal attack by XL bully dogs that were known to have been registered under new laws.
A blue forensic tent was put up outside the woman’s home in the small residential street following the attack.
Officers and forensic teams can be seen removing items from the property.
The family of the woman, who was the owner of the dogs, is being supported by officers, the Metropolitan Police says.
Image source, Reuters
XL bully dogs are now banned in England and Wales unless owners have an exemption certificate
Neighbours have described seeing paramedics administer CPR to the victim in her front garden.
A woman, who has asked to remain anonymous, said: “I came out of the house and looked to see what had happened. We hadn’t heard anything but saw a helicopter overhead and loads of police.
‘A lot of barking’
“I stood by the road and saw a paramedic administering CPR. That poor woman. It’s shocking.”
Another woman, who also did not want to be named, said she heard barking during the incident and had previously warned her child about going near the XL bully dogs.
“I said ‘don’t ever touch those dogs. They’re dangerous’.
Two XL bully dogs were seized by armed officers at the home
“I didn’t see anything but I heard a lot of of barking and saw a lot of people outside,” she said.
From 1 February, it became an offence in England and Wales to own an XL bully without an exemption certificate.
The government move to ban the dog followed a series of attacks on people.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 16 deaths due to dog attacks in 2023, a sharp rise from preceding years where the number had been in single figures.
Local dog trainer Michaela Scott said most XL bully owners work to keep everyone and their dogs safe
As of late 2023, around 60% of dogs held in police kennels were a bull breed of some kind.
Dog trainer Michaela Scott, who lives near the house where the woman died in Hornchurch, said attacks like this could be scary for people who did not work with this breed.
“It’s really sad for the person, the neighbours, for the local community,” she said.
Ms Scott, who specialises in working with XL bully dogs, said there were “quite a lot” of people in the area with the breed.
She said there had been a rise in demand from owners for her training program to help their dogs adapt to the new rules.
“Owners want to do what’s right for their dog,” she said. “They want to know how to keep their dog safe as well as everyone else safe.”
Anyone who owns one of the dogs must have the animal neutered and microchipped,, external and keep it muzzled and on a lead in public, among other restrictions.
Incident Room: XL Bully Ban, What Next?
BBC reporter Jordan Davies asks experts why the ban on the American XL bully dog is controversial and what impact it is likely to have.
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