An 84-year-old man who was savagely mauled by an XL Bully has died more than a month after the bloody attack.
The pensioner was viciously attacked by the snarling beast, which dragged him into a garden and tearing into him.
Armed police were later forced to fire 19 shots to kill the dog – believed to have been an ‘unregistered XL Bully’ – and another suspected XL Bully at the property.
The horror incident took place while the pensioner was walking along Bardsley Avenue in Warrington at around 6.40pm on February 25.
The man, who has not been named, was rushed to Aintree hospital with ‘serious injuries’.
However, Cheshire Police has today confirmed that despite efforts by medics, the pensioner died on Sunday.
His next of kin are aware and they are being supported by specialist officers.
Detective Inspector Simon Mills, of the Major Investigation Team at Cheshire Police, said: ‘This was a tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the family of the victim at this difficult time.
Marked Cheshire Police vehicles and a forensics van pictured in Bardsley Avenue, Warrington, after an 84-year-old man sustained serious injuries in a dog attack
Two hounds, believed to be XL Bully dogs, were destroyed by officers and a third small dog was also seized (stock image)
‘The victim has fought so hard since the attack but sadly his injuries were too much, and despite the best efforts of the specialist medical teams who have supported him since the attack, he has now passed away.
‘To endure such pain and anguish at the hands of an animal is unimaginable, and I cannot begin to comprehend the distress that his family are currently suffering following such an horrific incident.
‘Nobody should have to go through what they have experienced, and our specialist officers are providing them with the support they need at this truly awful time.’
Following the incident a 30-year-old man from Warrington was charged one count of being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control causing serious injury and 2 counts of possession or custody a dog to which section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 applied, namely an XL bully.
The Crown Prosecution Service has been informed of the victims’ death and will now determine if there are any changes to the charges.
Speaking at the time, one ‘traumatised’ local resident told how he tried to ‘batter’ the ‘massive’ dog with a yard brush but it ‘wouldn’t get off’ the pensioner.
‘It was horrific,’ he told the Liverpool Echo. ‘I was looking through the kitchen window and saw a guy lying on the floor in the driveway over the road.
‘I thought the man had had a heart attack. Then I saw this massive dog. So I ran over and battered it with my yard brush. But it didn’t work. It wouldn’t get off him.
‘I called over the road for someone to call the police. The police arrived and we were told to get in. We had to move away because the dog could have attacked us.’
The 84-year-old man has since died more than a month after the attack, police today confirmed. Pictured are officers at the scene on February 24
Due to the ‘size and ferocity’ of the dog and a second suspected XL Bully at the same property, police marksmen had to shoot them 19 times in order to kill them, police previously revealed.
A third smaller dog at the property was also seized.
Issuing a chilling warning in response to the horrific scene, Cheshire Chief Constable Mark Roberts said last month: ‘These dogs are like weapons; their physical attributes can make it like owning a loaded firearm with a questionable safety catch.’
It has been an offence to own or possess an XL Bully dog in England and Wales without a valid certificate of exemption since a crackdown launched last year following a spate of horrific attacks.
The powerfully built animals can only be exercised in public on a muzzle and lead under a new law which came into effect last February.
Cheshire Constabulary Chief Constable Mark Roberts said: ‘This was an innocent man who was simply walking in the street when he was horrifically attacked by a suspected unregistered XL Bully.
‘The sheer size and ferocity of these animals mean that our firearms officers had to discharge 19 shots into them – all of which hit their targets – in order bring the incident to a conclusion and ensure the safety of the public.
‘While the victim is now receiving the treatment that he requires, there is no doubt that this incident will impact him for the rest of his life.
‘The danger to the public that these dogs pose is well known, which is why Cheshire Constabulary has been extremely proactive in enforcing the new regulations.
‘So far we have already removed more than 100 XL Bullies from the streets of Cheshire, and we are committed to doing all we can to ensure that those who don’t comply with the new regulations are held accountable.’
Dog attacks have risen by a fifth in one year, with police recording more than 80 incidents a day.
Police forces recorded 30,539 offences of a dog injuring a person or a guide dog last year – up from 25,291 in 2022.
In 2023, there were over 6,000 recorded incidents of dog bites requiring hospital treatment.
