Baby girl dies after attack by dogs

12 April 2012

A five-month-old girl has died after she was mauled by two Rottweiler dogs.

The baby was savaged by the animals at a pub in Stephenson Drive in the New Park area of Leicester.

She was rushed to the city's Royal Infirmary where she died from her injuries. The two dogs were seized by police who were called to the address.

A spokesman for Leicestershire Police said: "Police and ambulance personnel were called to the scene of the attack at living premises at The Rocket public house in Stephenson Drive. The five month old girl was rushed to Leicester Royal Infirmary but tragically died of her injuries. The Rottweiler dogs were removed from the scene by police. Officers are investigating circumstances surrounding the incident."

Flowers and teddy bears have been left in the doorway of the pub, which remains closed to the public. Neighbours said the two dogs were used as guard dogs and belonged to the landlord.

The parents of the baby girl were believed to have been looking after the pub - and the dogs - while the landlord was on holiday, they claimed.

Amy Grimbley said: "As far as we know the couple in the pub are there looking after it for the owner. The dogs are known to be vicious. They are guard dogs. They stay on the roof during the day and whenever you walk past you get the feeling they could just jump down and attack you. They are very aggressive. Everybody around here is petrified of them."

Miss Grimbley said the pub was a family pub, which regularly held discos.

"The dogs were never allowed in the pub, they were kept upstairs in the living quarters," she added. "There's a school opposite the pub, for both infants and juniors and nobody is really happy walking their kids past the pub after school. I've got a three-year-old and I don't feel at all safe walking past them. Most adults are terrified of them, never mind kids."

Ms Grimbley's father James said: "Our hearts go out to the parents of that poor baby. Everybody is just so shocked at what has happened. Everybody is talking about it, nobody can believe it. We know guard dogs are needed these days because pubs get raided but you have got to be careful with them if they have been brought up as security dogs rather than family pets."

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