Breaking
DOG ATTACK
Stonnall dog attack: Man arrested after Ian Price was mauled to death by two XL Bully dogs is released on bail
A MAN arrested after a dad was mauled to death by XL Bully dogs has been released on bail.
Ian Price, 52, was attacked and killed by two dogs as he tried to protect his elderly mum outside a home in Stonall, Staffordshire.
5
5
5
A man was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the tragic death, after initially being arrested on suspicion of having dogs dangerously out of control.
And Staffordshire Police this morning confirmed a 30-year-old, from the Lichfield area, has now been released.
A spokesperson said: "The man arrested in connection with the death of Ian Price, who was attacked by two dogs in Stonnall, has been released on conditional bail.
"The 30-year-old, from the Lichfield area, has been interviewed a number of times and has been released pending further enquiries.
"Our investigation continues at pace as we try to understand more about events leading up to this horrendous attack."
Both dogs have died after the attack, with one throttled with a dogcatcher pole while the other was later given a lethal injection at the consent of its owner.
The Sun understands the owner is a 30-year-old amateur boxer.
Their owner’s Facebook page features a photo of his child in front of the pets, one of each sex, which are on a sofa.
Most read in UK News
He describes one of the dogs as a “mean-looking f***er”.
Other photos on his social media show puppies of the same breed but different colours.
'IT WAS HORRENDOUS'
The force previously said officers had been in touch with the dog owner twice this year, prompted by reports from concerned members of the public.
It said its Professional Standards Department has reviewed body-worn video of the fatal incident and the previous reports relating to both dogs and concluded there will be no referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The police received a report on January 14 saying that two XL bully dogs were off their lead in a field in Stonnall.
Officers went to the owner's address and gave words of advice around keeping the dogs under control while in a shared public place.
The owner was co-operative and both dogs were in the address at the time and appeared to be calm, police said.
They did not show any signs of aggression towards officers, a police spokesman said.
The dog owner was spoken to by officers about ensuring the animal was under control at all times after a March 30 report said that two XL bullies had mounted another dog in Stonnall.
The force said no injuries were caused to the dog or anyone who was in the area at the time.
The police's statement comes as the neighbourhood was left reeling after the fatal attack, which unfolded just after 3pm on Thursday.
It's understood Price had dashed to 89-year-old Beryl Price’s house opposite his after the brute dogs escaped from a ground-floor flat into her front garden.
Neighbours told how the XL Bullys tore into Ian, 52, in a “frenzy” as a neighbour used sticks in an attempt to save the dad.
Repairman and Aston Villa fan Ian was flown to hospital in Birmingham where he died that evening — the sixth person killed in a dog attack in England this year.
A witness said: “It was so awful I can barely talk about it, but Ian was mauled to death and it was just horrendous.”
“We think the dogs were at home on their own because there were no cars outside. I guess they escaped through a window.
“Both dogs set on him. Neighbours came to help but many stood this side of the fence because they were too frightened to get involved.
“One brave man got a big stick and was hitting the dogs but they just took no notice. They were in a frenzy.”
Her husband added: “We can’t get our heads around it.
"This is a beautiful, quiet little village.
“If it can happen here, it can happen anywhere.”
XL BULLY BAN
Rishi Sunak said American XL bully dogs will be banned by the end of the year in response to a series of attacks.
The decision was quickly backed by campaign groups, the Labour Party and Baron Baker of Dorking, who put the Dangerous Dogs Act on the statute books more than 30 years ago.
But questions remain about how exactly a ban will be implemented and enforced, with concerns too about the challenge of defining the dog breed given its cross-bred nature.
Speaking yesterday, the PM said: "These dogs are dangerous, I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe."
It comes amid questions over whether an "amnesty period" could be introduced for owners, with suggestions that this would see an outright ban take effect in 2025.
This was the approach taken in the passed when pitbulls were banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act in the 1990s.
The American XL bully breed of dog has been responsible for nearly 50% of all attacks on both humans and dogs, and 70% of all deaths to dogs since 2021, a legal academic has said.
Speaking to Times Radio after a coalition of animal charities, including the RSPCA and the Kennel Club, said banning American XL bully dogs would not stop attacks, Dr Lawrence Newport said: "Well, there's a couple of responses to this. The first is that this dog breed is responsible for over 70% of all deaths to dogs since 2021, it's responsible for nearly 50% of all attacks on both humans and other dogs.
""In July of this year, in one week, in July this year, one dog a day was killed by an American bully. They are a uniquely dangerous breed of dog."
A nearby school, St Peter’s Primary Academy, went into lockdown and pupils were kept inside for their safety.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Yesterday PM Rishi Sunak pledged to outlaw the breed by the end of the year, saying: “It is clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, it’s a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on.”
The fatal attack comes after footage shared online showed an XL Bully attacking a girl, 11, and two men in Bordesley, Birmingham, last Saturday.
5
5
Topics