Girl killed by banned breed of dog - police
LONDON, Jan 2 (Reuters) The dog which killed a five-year-old girl was a breed banned under British law and its owner had already been formally warned over two previous incidents, police said today.
''The dog has been assessed as a pit-bull terrier type dog which is prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act,'' Superintendent Jon Ward of Merseyside Police told reporters.
''This information will be fed into the investigation...we will of course be consulting with the Crown Prosecution Service,'' he added.
The family of Ellie Lawrenson said they were ''absolutely devastated'' at the loss of their ''little angel''. Ellie was attacked along with her 46-year-old grandmother in the early hours yesterday at a house in St Helens, near Liverpool.
Lawrenson died at the scene from serious head and neck injuries.
Her grandmother, Jackie Simpson, is stable in hospital following surgery after suffering damage to her arms and severe injuries to her thumb and elbow.
The dog, which was destroyed immediately after the incident, was just over a year old and had been owned by the family since it was a puppy.
Its owner, the girl's uncle, had twice received letters warning him about the dog's behaviour after it was involved in an incident with another dog and following complaints about the noise it made, Superintendent Ward said.
Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, owners of pure-bred pit bull terriers can be held responsible for their pet's actions.
Lawrenson's family said in a statement, ''Ellie was always happy and smiling. She was a little angel, full of life and always running around.'' ''We had a great Christmas together, with her little brother, Josh, who Ellie doted on and thought she was a second mother to.
We are absolutely devastated and can't believe she is gone.'' Police said Lawrenson did not usually live with her grandmother, but was staying there for New Year's Eve.
Last September, 5-month-old Cadey-Lee Deacon died after she was savaged by her family's two Rottweilers in Leicester.
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