Police name three-year-old boy killed by dog; Woman arrested

A three-year-old boy has died after being bitten by a dog in Halstead, Essex, police said.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “The boy, who is aged three, was taken to hospital, where he sadly died from his injuries”.

The scene at a house in Halstead Essex where a 3 year old boy was killed by a dog.See Masons copy MNBITE: The boy who died after being bitten by a dog was three-years-old, police have confirmed.

Phyllis Younger, 82, who lives on the road where the dog attack took place, said: “I heard screaming and thought maybe it was children having some fun and then I thought it is quite a lot of screaming”.

Police say the breed is yet to be established but neighbours report it being a big pitbull-type dog with short white hair.

“I thought we’d be able to help as we’re both first aid trained but it was just so terrible”.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said the Neal family’s home in Ronald Road was extremely close to the address cordoned off by police in Parker Way.

“I have seen a man walking a dog with a young child on his shoulders but I don’t know anything about him”.

“Now I know what the scream was, it is absolutely very bad”, she said.

He added that a woman at the scene was “devastated” and that she was “on her knees crying and covered in blood”.

“I don’t think I would have heard it as clearly if it had been in the house”.

According to the East of England Ambulance Service, it sent two rapid response vehicles, paramedics and an ambulance to the property after an air ambulance was called to the scene.

Neighbour Craig Bacon told Sky News that he thought the dog at the property was a “small white one”.

“It’s so sad. I feel so sadly for the family who are involved. I didn’t know the couple, they only moved here recently”. “It is such a awful thing to happen”. “Our thoughts are with the family involved at this time”.

The young boy’s death comes just days after a 52-year-old man was attacked and killed by a dog which had been returned to its owner despite concerns that it was risky.

“This will be an absolute body blow to everybody in the town”.

David Ellam, 52, of Huddersfield, died on Monday after being attacked by a Staffylabrador cross.