Two arrested after eight-year-old 'bitten on head by XL bully'

Two people have been arrested after an eight-year-old boy was left seriously injured following an 'XL bully attack' in Merseyside.

Officers were called to Wadham Road in Bootle following reports a dog had bitten a child in the head just after 5.20pm on Saturday (February 10). It's believed the attack happened in a communal area of flats.

The boy was rushed to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery for his serious head injuries. He now remains in a serious but stable condition, Merseyside Police confirmed. It's believed the dog seized by officers was an XL bully.

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A 49-year-old woman and 30-year-old man, both from Bootle, have been arrested on suspicion of being a person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury. They have been taken in to custody to be interviewed. They are not related to the injured child, a spokesman for the force said.

House-to-house enquiries have been carried out in the area and all CCTV opportunities are being explored, they added.

A number of people were spoken to at the scene and officers are appealing for further witnesses to come forward and for anyone who may be able to assist enquiries to contact police.

Detective inspector Gary Stratton said: “This was a horrific attack which has left a young child requiring emergency surgery for injuries to his head.

“I want to reassure people that he is receiving the best possible care and treatment for his injuries, which are described as life-changing.

“We have seized the dog and extensive efforts are under way to establish exactly what happened. I want to appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident, who may have