03 June 2023 , 10:11
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Two people have been arrested after a woman in her seventies was allegedly mauled to death by a family dog while sunbathing in her garden.
The victim, a woman in her 70s, was died following the attack on a small residential street in Bedworth, Warwickshire, on Friday afternoon.
Her daughter, named locally as Anita Singh, 49, and son-in-law, named by neighbours as Jas Singh, 52, were arrested following the tragedy.
They were quizzed on suspicion of owning a banned breed of dog and having a dog dangerously out of control.
Mum-of-three Anita had to be treated in hospital for injuries sustained as she tried to get the dog off her stricken mum.
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Warwickshire Police said the married couple were released on bail pending further inquiries.
A man and woman have arrested in connection with the fatal attack (Coventry Live)The force said the dog, whose breed has not been revealed, was seized at the scene of the attack. One local man, who declined to be named, told how he spoke briefly to Jas after he was released on bail.
He said: “The dog attacked his mum-in-law while she was in the back garden lying on a sun lounger. Jas is very shocked and shaken and said had no idea why the dog suddenly turned and described it as an awful tragedy.
“He was at work so didn’t see the attack but Anita tried to get the dog off.”
A neighbour, who also did not want to be named, said: “The gran was a nice old lady and would always give us a wave.”
Another said: “They are a lovely family. Three generations live in the house. It’s a terrible thing to have happened.”
Jas, a builder, returned to the family home yesterday, but said he just wanted “to be left alone”.
It is reported that the woman had been using a sun lounger at her home when she was attacked by the dog, with her daughter then attempting frantically to remove it.
The 49-year-old woman arrested was hurt in the attack and is currently in hospital being treated for dog attack injuries, which police said were not deemed life-threatening.
The 52-year-old man arrested has been released on police bail while enquiries continue, a statement from the force on Saturday said.
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Superintendent Sutherland Lane said: “This was a tragic isolated incident, and a full investigation is now underway to establish the circumstances surrounding it.
“Thankfully dog attacks of this nature are exceedingly rare, but I recognise this will be deeply upsetting for the local community.
The scene after a woman was mauled to death in Kathleen Avenue, Bedworth (Coventry Live)“The public can expect to see a heightened police presence in and around the area while we conduct our enquiries.
“Please do come and speak to one of our officers if you have any information that could help with our investigation.”
Shocked tributes have since poured in from members of the local community in Bedworth, and one 78-year-old woman who wished to remain anonymous told Coventry Live: “It is not nice. My thoughts are with them all.
"It is a terrible tragedy. It is really sad.
"We do not normally have things like this happen, not around here anyway.”
Another local said "I think it is horrifying wherever it happens", while a third added: “I was shocked when I heard that a woman had died after being attacked by a dog. It is really upsetting.”
The number of dog attacks recorded by police in England and Wales is estimated to have risen by a third in the past five years, reports the BBC, with nearly 22,000 cases of out-of-control dogs causing injury in 2022.
The Mirror is currently campaigning to overhaul the Dangerous Dogs Act as people continue to be killed or seriously injured in vicious dog attacks.