Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Man, 37, dies after being attacked by a dog

Police were called to the incident in Leigh, Greater Manchester at around 9pm on Thursday.

Cameron Henderson
Friday 19 May 2023 10:54 EDT
A 24-year-old man has been arrested by GMP on suspicion of owning a dangerously out of control dog causing injury resulting in death (PA)
A 24-year-old man has been arrested by GMP on suspicion of owning a dangerously out of control dog causing injury resulting in death (PA) (PA Archive)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A 37-year-old man has died after being attacked by a dog in Leigh, Greater Manchester.

Police were called to the incident on Westleigh Lane at around 9pm on Thursday evening to find a man with serious injuries believed to have been caused by a dangerously out of control dog.

The man was taken to hospital but died in the early hours of Friday morning.

Despite the efforts of armed officers to subdue the dog and bring it to safety, it posed a significant risk to the public and was humanely killed.

This is a distressing incident which has resulted in the sad passing of a man

Detective Superintendent Simon Hurst

A 24-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of owning a dangerously out of control dog causing injury resulting in death. He remains in custody.

Detective Superintendent Simon Hurst of GMP’s Wigan district said: “Firstly, I would like to extend my condolences to the loved ones of the victim of this attack.

“Our officers and our partners are currently supporting the victim’s loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.

“We recognise this incident will rightly cause concern within the local area and we would like to reassure the public that we explored every possible avenue to protect the local community and the animal involved.

“We would urge members of the public to please come forward if they have any information in regard to this incident. Any information you may have may be a huge help to our investigation.

“This is a distressing incident which has resulted in the sad passing of a man and we are determined to ensure this does not happen again in our community.”

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in