Six-month-old baby killed in dog attack in England

Relative looking also suffered bite wounds as she tried to wrestle animal off girl

Northamptonshire Police are investigating after a baby girl was fatally injured in a dog attack last night. Photograph:  Stefan Wermuth/Reuters
Northamptonshire Police are investigating after a baby girl was fatally injured in a dog attack last night. Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters

A six-month-old girl has died after being attacked by a dog in a home.

A relative who was looking after the baby also suffered bite wounds as she tried to wrestle the animal off.

Police and paramedics were called to the address in Daventry, Northamptonshire, at 10.30pm last night, where they tried to resuscitate the infant.

The six-month-old was taken to Northampton General Hospital where she was confirmed dead, Northamptonshire Police said.

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The dog was killed at the scene.

Northamptonshire Police said they “cannot confirm the breed of dog” at this stage.

But experts will carry out tests early next week to determine exactly what kind of dog it was.

The tragedy has sparked calls for new, tougher rules to be put in place to prevent potentially dangerous dogs from being housed in family homes.

Dog owners in Britain used to be required to have a licence but they were widely ignored and eventually abolished in 1987.