Boy, 3, was with 'several dogs' before fatal attack in Rochdale

15 May 2022, 22:49 | Updated: 16 May 2022, 16:25

A three-year-old boy was outside with a 'number of dogs' before suspected attack that killed him in Rochdale.

Police were called at around 1:15pm by the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) following reports a three-year-old boy had been injured at Carr Lane, Milnrow, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

He was taken by ambulance to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Officers in Rochdale have since launched an investigation after it is believed he was attacked by a dog.

Enquiries have established that the boy was outdoors with a number of dogs prior to being found with serious injuries.

One dog was "humanely destroyed" and several others were seized, police said.

Enquiries in relation to the dogs are ongoing. No arrests have been made.

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Great Manchester Police's Assistant Chief Constable Scott Green said: “Our thoughts, of course, remain with the loved ones of the young boy who so sadly died following yesterday’s incident. Specially trained officers have been deployed to support them.

“A thorough investigation is ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident and review other incidents of note. Due to previous contact, GMP’s Professional Standards Branch is making a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

“It goes without saying that this news will have had an impact on the community. I can reassure members of the public that any criminal offences identified by our enquiries in relation to this incident will be dealt with accordingly by ourselves and our criminal justice partners.

“We are aware of speculation on social media and ask that members of the public and the media refrain from engaging in speculation at this time until our investigation is complete and any subsequent criminal proceedings have concluded."

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Detective Superintendent Jamie Daniels, of GMP's Public Protection and Serious Crime Division, last night said: "This is a tragic, devastating incident and our thoughts are with the family at this horrendous time.

"We are investigating the incident and previous incidents involving dogs at this address.

"While our enquiries to find out what happened will be thorough and are very much in their infancy, we suspect that this little boy has, sadly succumbed, to injuries received as a result of a dog attack.

"I understand this is an extremely distressing incident for all concerned and this news will rock the local community.

"I can only assure everyone that we will work relentlessly to establish the full circumstances that led to this tragedy and while we retain an open mind, this is now being dealt with as a criminal investigation.

"There will be a significant police presence in the area - we will be there to carry out an investigation and address any concerns residents may have."

Anyone with information has been urged to call police on 0161 856 5413 quoting incident 1615 of 15/05/2022.

Information can also be reported online or by using the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk. If you can't report online, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.