Neighbours thought screams from dog attack ‘came from the television’
NEIGHBOURS of a four-year-old girl killed in a garden dog attack have said they thought screams they heard at the time were coming from a television.
Armed police were called to a property in Milton Keynes, Bucks, at 5pm on Tuesday following the death of Alice Stones after neighbours overheard a woman yelling, “My baby, she’s dead!”
The child was killed by an American bulldog at the end-of-terrace property in the Broadlands area of the town, residents said. The family was reported to have owned the dog for six to eight weeks.
One neighbour recalled hearing a “high-pitched squeal” which “went on and on” at the time of the incident that they thought “was [coming] from someone’s telly”.
“I opened my window and could just hear screaming and sobbing,” they added. I didn’t know what was going on. My friend who lives nearer the house says she heard a woman shouting ‘my baby, she’s dead, she’s dead’.”
The house remained taped off yesterday, with a forensic tent by the back garden and a uniformed officer and police van at the front of the property. Officers in white forensic suits worked at the scene, and were seen entering the house in the afternoon.
Floral tributes to the youngster had begun to pile up outside the house, with one of them reading: “Alice!! Fly high with the angels little one. The whole community will miss your smile. Our thoughts are with the whole family, especially her mum.”
No one else was hurt in the attack and the child’s family was being supported by specially trained officers, police said.
No arrests have been made. Rita Matthews, 36, a neighbour, said she would see the girl while walking her own daughter to school.
“I know the girl. It’s so sad to hear that news,” she said. “She was always holding her mummy’s hand on the way back. It’s so sad we’re not going to see the girl again and I pray all the best to her mum to get her strength back.”
The incident was discussed during Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday. Iain Stewart, Conservative MP for Milton Keynes, said: “Today in my constituency there is a great sense of shock and disbelief following last night’s horrific dog attack that killed a four-year-old girl.”
Rishi Sunak replied: “I thank my honourable friend and send my condolences, and I’m sure the whole House’s condolences, to the girl’s family and the community after this horrific incident.”
Superintendent Marc Tarbit, of Thames Valley Police, said the dog was a family pet and it had been put down by police at the scene yesterday. He added: “I would ask the community for their support about not speculating about this matter.”