Dogs seized

Police have seized 8 pit bull-terriers which they believe were being trained for fighting. Officers raided addresses in Merseyside following the death of Ellie Lawrenson,aged 5 years, who was killed by a type of pit bull-terrier at her grandmother’s home in the early hours of Jan 1.
Of the 8 dogs seized, six were from an address in St Helens, the town where Ellie died. The other two were taken from an address in Widness.

Insp Ian Whitfield of Merseyside Police said officers also seized a collection of protein dog food supplements. He said that one animal had its ears trimmed back, a “common occurrence” in dogs bred for fighting. Insp Whitfield said the dogs were now being held by police and inquiries were ongoing to decide whether their owners would be prosecuted.
Pit bull-terriers are one of 4 breeds banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act, 1991. Keeping a banned dog can result in a £5,000 fine or 6 months in prison.
Officers staged the raids after a tip-off from a member of the public. The tip-off was likely to have been prompted by Ellie's death on Monday of head and face injuries caused by the dog. She had been staying with her grandmother, Jackie Simpson, while her mother and father celebrated New Year’s Eve. Mrs Simpson eventually managed to trap the dog in a side alley of her house, where it was put down by a police marksman.
Pos-tmortem tests showed the dog was a banned breed. It was also revealed that the dog’s owner had, twice, been warned by police about the 'pet'. A 23-year-old man has been questioned by police in connection with the attack. The man went voluntarily to the police station and was not arrested, Merseyside police confirmed.