‘XL Bully’ seized by police after boy, 5, suffers head injuries in attack

Your support helps us to tell the story

Support Now

Find out moreClose

As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.

Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.

Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election

Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Police have seized a suspected XL Bully after it attacked a young boy in Hull.

The victim, aged five, was found with serious head injuries after the incident at a house in Brazil Street in the city at around 11.45am on Monday, 27 May.

The boy was rushed to hospital where he is recovering.

A Humberside Police spokesman said: “Enquiries are ongoing after we received reports that a five-year-old boy had been bitten by a dog at a property on Brazil Street in Hull at around 11.45am yesterday.“

“The boy suffered injuries to his head, and is currently in hospital receiving treatment.”

Detective Chief Inspector Allison Sweeting said: “We are working closely with the boy’s family and the owner of the dog to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“At this stage, the breed of dog is believed to be an XL bully type and it has been seized as part of our enquiries.”

The attack comes a week after the family of a “kind-hearted” mother killed by one of her two registered XL Bully dog urged other owners to give up the breed if they show a hint of aggression.

Angeline Mahal, believed to be in her fifties, was attacked at the semi-detached home in Cornwall Close in Hornchurch just after 1pm on Monday.

A relative, who wished to remain anonymous, feared Angeline - known as Angel to friends - had been dead for many hours before she was discovered.

He told The Sun: “We miss her, she was sincere and loved by everyone. We asked her to get rid of the dogs. The bond with owners and their dogs is too strong.”

Both dogs were registered as exempt from the government’s ban on XL Bully dogs, which came in on 1 February after a series of attacks.

Under the agreement for having a dog exempt, owners must have had the animal neutered, have it microchipped and keep it muzzled and on a lead in public.

According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 16 deaths due to dog attacks in 2023, a sharp rise from preceding years where the number had been in single figures.

As of late 2023, around 60 per cent of dogs held in police kennels were a bull breed of some kind.