Four year old boy killed by dog in Liverpool

John-Paul Massey of Wavertree, Liverpool, was killed by the dog, believed to be a bull-terrier or a mastiff. The dog belonged to his uncle, Christian Massey, who recently joined the army.

The dog responsible for the attack has been killed.

Neighbours have said that a lot of dog barking was heard last night and that there have been a number of complaints about dogs in the area in recent times.

A similar incident occurred in 2007 when a pit-bull terrier killed a five year old girl near Liverpool. Following her death over 200 dogs were confiscated from owners under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, which banned the breeding of dogs for fighting.

In a statement Chief Superintendent Steve Ashley, said, “This is a tragic incident and a full and thorough investigation will be carried out into the circumstances surrounding this young boy's death."