Police blasted by councillor after double dog attack in Thornton

A county councillor has criticised the police for not acting decisively enough after two women were bitten by a dog in Thornton.
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Both were out with their own dogs in the area when the Staffordshire Terrier attacked their pets, biting them in the process as they tried to prise it off their own animals.

Lancashire Constabulary officers warned the owner of the aggressive dog after the first incident which happened on September 17 near Brooks Road.

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But County Coun Andrea Kay, from the Cleveleys East ward, said that the police should have acted immediately to put a community protection order on the animal and ordered the owner to have it muzzled in public and securely locked up at home to stop it getting out.

The bite wounds to one of the women attacked by a dog in ThorntonThe bite wounds to one of the women attacked by a dog in Thornton
The bite wounds to one of the women attacked by a dog in Thornton

The dog then attacked a second woman a week later as she was stood watching children play football in the area.

Coun Kay said: "The police should have done more in the first place, now the dog has bitten someone else and attackjed a second dog. There were children in the area and if it had bitten one of them we could be looking at something much more serious.

"The dog should have had an order put on it right away. It should be analysed to see how aggressive it is and if it needs proper training. It had got out from the owner's property and been roaming around."

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One of the women attacked who did not want to be named said the attack had been terrifying and her own dog would probably have been killed if a passing motorist had not stopped to help her.

County Coun Andrea KayCounty Coun Andrea Kay
County Coun Andrea Kay

She said: "I have had to have two weeks off work with my injuries. It seems the gate had been left open and the dog got out. It grabbed my dog Ollie (a Lhasa Apso) by the head. As I tried to get it off it bit my wrist, there was blood pouring out. It would not let go of Ollie and luckily a man stopped his vehicle and came to help. He had to kick the dog before it would let go."

A spokesman for Lancashire police said that a warning was given in the first incidence since the dog had not directly attacked a human.

They said: "The dog has been visited and checked by a Dogs Liaison Officer (DLO) who has confirmed it is not a banned or dangerous breed and is just young and energetic. The owner was advised that the dog got out because the garden gate had been left insecure, so was given words of advice regarding this.

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"He was also served with a Community Protection Warning instructing him of various conditions, including that the dog must be kept secure within the boundary of the home, on a lead and muzzled when walked in public and must be under the control of a responsible adult when in public place."