Police reveal what to do if you're attacked by a dangerous dog
The head of a police dog unit has explained what you should do if you get attacked by a dog.
The UK has seen a rise in dog attacks in recent months, with one man being killed after he was mauled by two dogs in Staffordshire last month and another which left an 11-year-old girl with serious injuries.
The spate of attacks led to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announcing a ban on XL bully dogs - another breed that has also been linked to a number of attacks - by the end of the year.
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Speaking last month, he 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's clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs.
"It's a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on."
He continued: "While owners already have a responsibility to keep their dogs under control, I want to reassure people that we are urgently working on ways to stop these attacks and protect the public.
"Today I have tasked ministers to bring together police and experts to firstly define the breed of dog behind these attacks, with a view to then outlawing it.
"It is not currently a breed defined in law, so this vital first step must happen fast.
"We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year.
"These dogs are dangerous.
"I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe."
West Midlands Police recently told Sky News that it had been called out to 800 dangerous dog related incidents in the last six months.
With the numbers so high, Inspector Leanne Chapman, head of the West Midlands Police Dog Unit, shared what you should do if you find yourself caught up in an attack.
She told Sky News: "What we'd suggest is cross your arms and turn your back to them, don't run away- if you run away then you're [encouraging] the dog to... chase you, and you're turning it into a game.”
She went on: "If the dog is biting you, try to keep as still as possible and don't try to fight with the dog.
"If someone comes and tries to hold their collar to try and stop that ragging reflex in the dog, just try to prevent as much injury as you can."
Claire Reid