Girl savaged by police dog that turned on her while chasing thief
A TERRIFIED six-year-old girl was mauled in the street by a police dog as it chased a suspected car thief.
Phoebe Roberts was playing close to her home when the dog and officers ran towards her.
But instead of following the offender, the German Shepherd turned on the girl and attacked, biting her repeatedly on the legs.
The dog was eventually dragged off by its handlers but Phoebe was left covered in blood. She suffered ten leg wounds and spent two days in hospital receiving treatment.
Last night her mother Sarah Malone, 24, demanded a review into the force’s training of dog handlers and animals. Mother-of-three Mrs Malone told how her son saw the attack, in Newton Heath, Manches- ter, from a window and shouted to her. ‘I ran outside and saw Phoebe in shock, covered in blood, surrounded by police,’ Mrs Malone said.
‘The officers tried to say that the dog handler had let the dog off the lead because he could not see anyone and that Phoebe just appeared and came out of nowhere.
‘Phoebe was just shaking … The dog bit her once and then let go but it went back to bite her again to get a better grip on her leg. The very thought of it is horrific.
‘She has got ten wounds, two of them very deep – they said if it was two inches more, it could have got an artery, so it was serious. I’m still shocked … I was devastated to see her in that terrible state.’
Mrs Malone said her daughter was ‘traumatised’ by the attack on Tuesday evening and criticised police handlers for releasing the dog on a busy residential street.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said officers were chasing the driver of a stolen Fiat Punto, adding: ‘A police dog was deployed to pursue the offender and during the chase a six-year- old girl was unfortunately bitten … Her injuries are not believed to be serious.’ He said the dog had been specially trained and has ‘undergone a series of tests and passed them all to retain his licence. He is due to return to duty at a later date.’
But Mrs Malone said: ‘If it had been any other dog it would have been put to sleep by now.’ The incident was referred to the force’s Professional Standards Branch.