Screams Heard As Boy, 3, Killed By Dog In Halstead, Essex

A 29-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control.

In 2014, sentencing guidelines in England and Wales were changed to raise the maximum jail sentence for a fatal dog attack from two years to 14.

“I heard this screaming”, she said.

“They’re very private people to be fair”, she said.

A group of officers are standing guard in front of the semi-detatched house alongside forensics vans, police cars and an SUV in a side street off the road.

‘Sadly, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, the child has died. Words can’t express how it affects anybody.

MP for Halstead, James Cleverly, tweeted: “Such awful, heart breaking news, I was briefed by @EssexPoliceUK earlier this morning”.

He said: “I have got children of my own, and this is both shocking and heartbreaking”.

The Dangerous Dogs Act was brought in 25 years ago, but its effect has been questioned. There’s a number of gaps.

“The next thing I see, this large white dog covered in blood being dragged out”.

David Ellam was out walking with his Yorkshire terrier close to his home in Huddersfield on Monday when he was attacked by another dog. The boy, who is aged 3, was taken to hospital where he sadly died from his injuries.

The Dangerous Dogs Act has “never really worked” because it only deals with certain breeds, a Tory MP has said as he called for a review of the law.

He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “There are lots of breeds of dogs that can be just as unsafe as the ones listed in the risky Dogs Act, so to get rid of this legislation to replace it with a more flexible form of regulation means that the police and local authorities could then focus on where there is a known risky dog or an irresponsible owner”.

The Sentencing Council said sentences were “likely to be higher than in the past” but must be “proportionate”.

A young boy has died after being bitten by a dog in a house. The boy was rushed to hospital but died from his injuries.

Separately, North Yorkshire Police are appealing for witnesses to an incident which saw a boy bitten by a dog at the Cayton Village Caravan Park in Scarborough in August 13.

The attack took place at the boy’s home.

A 29-year-old woman from Halstead has been arrested in connection with the death, and remains in custody for questioning. It is not on the list of banned breeds.