Police investigating the killing of a five-year-old girl by a dog in England are attempting to determine the breed of the animal.
Ellie Lawrenson was staying at her grandmother's house in St Helens, Merseyside, when she was attacked by the pitbull terrier-style dog yesterday.
Ellie died of severe head and neck injuries and her grandmother (46) needed emergency surgery for arm injuries.
The animal, called Reuben, belonged to Ellie's uncle, who lived at the same house.
The dog was shot at the scene by police marksmen, and a postmortem will take place today.
Investigators are keen to determine whether the dog was a pure breed pit bull, which would make its owner legally to blame for the attack under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act.
St Helens Council confirmed yesterday that it had sent a warning letter to the dog's owner, following complaints from neighbours.