A woman was airlifted to a specialist plastic surgery hospital in Wiltshire with life-changing injuries following a dog attack on the Isle of Wight late last night.
The Staffordshire terrier-mastiff cross was shot dead in a rural country lane by armed police after they were deployed to the scene on the island at around 10pm.
Officers arrived to find the pet’s owner with significant, life-changing arm injuries and a second victim, a man in his 20s – known to the owner – with serious injuries. The woman casualty was flown to Salisbury District Hospital for treatment.
Inspector Matt Moss of Hampshire Constabulary said: “We understand the circumstances will be incredibly distressing for the public, but please be reassured that it is very rare for our officers to have to deal with an incident of this nature.
“The two injured people remain in hospital at this time and our enquiries remain ongoing to establish how this incident happened.
“The dog involved did have to be destroyed at the scene by attending officers. We do not take these sorts of decisions lightly, and we are confident that this was absolutely necessary in the circumstances to protect the wider public, due to the threat that the dog posed.
“We would like to thank the two members of the public who stopped at the scene in their vehicle to assist the two injured people prior to the arrival of emergency services. Thankfully they were unharmed, and their actions may have prevented the dog from causing further injuries.”
