Four people injured after a vicious dog attack in Hammersmith

Four people were taken to hospital following a dog attack in a cemetery in Hammersmith, in West London, on Saturday.

According to the BBC, all four suffered bites in the attack, which happened at Margravine Cemetery near the Barons Court area of Hammersmith.

Metro reported that all four took themselves to hospital, and their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Metropolitan Police officers were able to restrain and seize the dog quickly, and they arrested a 48-year-old man on suspicion of being in charge of a dangerously out-of-control dog.

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"Detectives from the Central West Command Unit are investigating. Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call police via 101 quoting reference CAD 2817/01Jul,” a Met Police spokesperson said in a statement.

At this stage, it is unclear what breed of dog was involved in the incident. According to Metro, officers said the number of dangerous dog-related incidents has doubled in the last five years.

On the weekend, South Yorkshire police released footage of an American XL Bully chasing a police officer during a raid.

“Over the last few months I have become increasingly concerned about the number of reports of dog attacks causing significant injuries and sometimes even fatalities,” crime commissioner Alan Billings said after the incident.

“This doesn’t seem to be just a problem in South Yorkshire but is happening all over the country.

“During the pandemic, the number of dogs nationally rose from nine million to over 12 million, with many people buying dogs for the first time with no prior experience, a lack of socialisation, and no access to dog training classes during that time.

“These lockdown puppies have now grown into mature dogs and we are seeing the consequences.”

In the UK, a person found to be in charge of an out-of-control dog can be fined or sent to prison for up to six months.