A murder investigation has been launched after a man was fatally injured in Wearside by a dog believed to be an American XL bully.
Northumbria police said they received a report of an attack at about 6.55pm on Tuesday evening at an address in Shiney Row near Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, and a man aged 54 was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
On Wednesday morning, police said that despite the best efforts of medical staff, the man had died.
He was named by neighbours as Ian Langley, nicknamed “Scouse”. One friend said the victim probably weighed only eight stone and stood no chance against a big dog.
A 44-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. After the man’s death, he was rearrested on suspicion of murder and remained in custody, police said.
There has been a series of attacks involving XL bully dogs, which led to Rishi Sunak pledging to ban the breed by the end of the year.
The dog, which officers believe to be an XL bully, was destroyed at the scene of the attack. A second dog, also believed to be an XL bully, was seized as a precaution, a police spokesperson said.
Local residents in Shiney Row were coming to terms with the events of Tuesday, which they said were “shocking”.
Michael Kennedy, 64, said he knew Langley for more than 20 years. “He was a really nice lad. He came from Liverpool, he was a lovable rogue you might say.
“That lad must have been eight stone … I was worried about him, telling him to look after himself and be careful. He never did any harm, he was not a violent person. He wasn’t a hard man, he wasn’t the type to go looking for trouble.”
Rebecca Scott, a 22-year-old shop worker, said she had just put her toddler son to bed when she heard the commotion outside.
“I didn’t see what happened but I did see all the police arriving, there were loads of them and loads of blue lights. Everywhere you looked there were police and there were ambulances round the corner.
“I’ve heard that the dogs were bully dogs but I’ve not seen them around. Nothing like this has happened round here. The neighbourhood is not too bad to be honest. The whole thing is crazy.”
Another neighbour, Linda Blyth, said the attack happened on a grassy area behind her home and she saw paramedics working on the man’s badly injured throat. She said: “It was awful to see, you don’t expect it on your doorstep.”
She added that the dog was shot in the owner’s yard. “We were told ‘go in, shut your doors’ and then I heard the gunshot. I don’t know what set the dog off, everyone is speculating.”
Darren Johns, a 56-year-old care home worker, was out walking his two dogs, a small Bedlington-whippet cross and a lurcher, in Shiney Row on Wednesday. “I dread to think what would happen to my dogs if they ever came across a bully dog,” he said. “They wouldn’t stand a chance.”
He knew the dead man a little. “He was a canny lad, always out and about with his little dog, a black Patterdale. He was always friendly. I didn’t know him well but I’ve seen him out and about for years. The whole thing is just terrible.”
Detectives investigating the incident believe that the men involved knew each other.
DCI Angela Hudson, of Northumbria police, said: “First and foremost, I would like to extend my sincere condolences to the man’s family and loved ones. This is an absolutely tragic incident, and we will continue to offer them support in any way that we can. A full investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances of what has happened.
“I would like to reassure the wider community that there is no ongoing risk to them, and officers will remain in the area to offer reassurance and carry out inquiries. While our investigation is at an early stage, we do believe those involved were known to each other. I would also continue to ask people not to speculate about the incident online, including on social media, while inquiries are ongoing.”
The government announced last month it would work with police and experts to define the breed “with a view to outlawing it”. It followed the death of Ian Price, 52, in Stonnall, West Midlands.
Sunak said: “The American XL bully dog is a danger to our communities, particularly our children. I share the nation’s horror at the recent videos we’ve all seen. Yesterday we saw another suspected XL bully dog attack, which has tragically led to a fatality.
“It is not currently a breed defined in law, so this vital first step must happen fast. It is clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, it’s a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on.”
