What police found at the Dormanstown address
A three-month-old girl has died following a suspected dog attack at a house in Redcar, with a 45-year-old man arrested in the hours that followed.
Cleveland Police said armed officers were dispatched to Hardale Grove, in the Dormanstown area of the town, shortly after 1.30pm on Thursday after a report raising concerns for the welfare of a child. Officers destroyed one dog in the street and a second inside the property. The force said it believed the infant had died as a result of a dog bite.
A 31-year-old woman was also bitten during the incident, sustaining injuries to her arm that required hospital treatment.
Why the breed of the animals is significant
Both dogs were later examined by a specialist officer, who concluded that neither was thought to belong to a banned breed — a point that may bear on any subsequent charging decisions, given that much of the legislation around dangerous dogs in England and Wales draws a distinction between prohibited types and other animals deemed to have behaved dangerously.
The man taken into custody was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death. He has since been released on conditional bail while enquiries continue.
A community left reeling
Chief Superintendent Rachel Stockdale, the force’s head of local policing, said a police presence would remain at the scene as the investigation progressed. “Our thoughts continue to be with the child’s family following this tragic and distressing incident,” she said, appealing for the family’s privacy to be respected “during this difficult time”.
Cleveland Police have asked anyone with information about what happened, including any footage that may assist the inquiry, to come forward.
