Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Two children, 4 and 6, rushed to hospital after being attacked by four dogs in south London

A neighbour reportedly pulled the dogs off the two children while police were called to the incident in Mickleham Road in St Paul’s Cray, Orpington

Barney Davis
Saturday 05 October 2024 21:43 BST
Mickleham Road in St Paul’s Cray
Mickleham Road in St Paul’s Cray (Google Maps)

Two young children and a woman were taken to hospital after being attacked by four dogs in south London.

The infants, aged four and six, and the 30-year-old female were mauled by the dogs in Mickleham Road in St Paul’s Cray, Orpington, on Saturday just before 9am.

Their injuries were declared to be non life-threatening,

A neighbour reportedly pulled the children to safety after seeing the attack unfold while on his way home from work.

McArthur Okorocha told The Mirror: “I saw the dogs biting the girl, so I had to rush over there and separate the girl from the dog when I noticed there was another little boy...who the dogs were also biting.

“So, I grabbed the first girl and I held her and I tried to grab the second boy, then the dogs tried to attack me so I had to separate the little girl [from the dogs] and call 999. I got neighbours to call the police.”

“The goal was just to get the kids out of there, that was the main goal.”

The Met said a woman has been arrested on suspicion of having dogs dangerously out of control and has been taken into custody.

Police said all four dogs were of a Mastiff-type breed.

Superintendent Mitch Carr, of the South Area Basic Command Unit, said: “I know this incident will have caused a lot of public concern, especially due to the young age of the children injured. Fortunately, it is believed that none of the injuries are life-threatening.

“A woman has been arrested on suspicion of having dogs dangerously out of control and she has been taken into custody. The dogs have also been taken to police kennels while the investigation is ongoing. Extra officers will be in the area over the next few days to provide community reassurance.”

The incident came after a six-year-old girl was taken to hospital in West Sussex after being bitten by a Japanese Akita dog.

The attack happened in Strand Parade, The Boulevard, Durrington, Worthing, between 4pm and 4.30pm on Thursday.

A Sussex Police spokesman said that a 53-year-old woman from Worthing had been arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in