XL Bully attack – latest: Woman killed by two dogs in Hornchurch pictured as neighbours feared for children
The woman killed by two XL Bully dogs at a semi-detached home in Cornwall Close in Hornchurch has been named locally as Angeline Mahal
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A woman killed by her XL Bully dogs at her house in east London has been named locally as Angeline Mahal.
Ms Mahal, believed to be in her 50s, was attacked by her two dogs at the semi-detached home in Cornwall Close in Hornchurch just after 1pm on Monday.
Armed police attended the scene and told neighbours in the cul-de-sac to stay indoors before the area was evacuated shortly after 4pm.
Despite London Ambulance Service sending paramedics and a helicopter, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Tuesday afternoon, Ms Mahal was named locally, as His Majesty’s Coroners East London confirmed they had been made aware of her death.
Both dogs were registered as exempt from the government’s ban on XL Bully dogs, which came in on 1 February.
Under the agreement for having a dog exempt, owners must have had the animal neutered, have it microchipped and keep it muzzled and on a lead in public.
But one neighbour, Sejal Solanki, said she had warned her child about going near the dogs.
She said: “I said ‘Don’t ever touch those dogs. They’re dangerous’.”
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‘Poor woman’ - neighbour
One woman living nearby the incident in the cul-de-sac, who asked to remain anonymous, expressed her shock at the attack.
She told PA: “I came out of the house and looked to see what had happened.
“We hadn’t heard anything but saw a helicopter overhead and loads of police.
“I stood by the road and saw a paramedic administering CPR. That poor woman. It’s shocking.”
What is the law on XL Bully dogs
From February 1, it became a criminal offence to own the XL bully breed in England and Wales without an exemption certificate.
Anyone who owns one of the dogs must have had the animal neutered, have it microchipped and keep it muzzled and on a lead in public, among other restrictions.
More than 55,000 dogs were registered as excempt, according to Defra.
Why the ban was brought in
The Government move to ban XL bullies followed a series of high-profile attacks.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 16 deaths due to dog attacks in 2023, a sharp rise from preceding years where the number had been in single figures.
The overall number of dog attacks also soared. Figures obtained by The Independent from police forces in England and Wales showed there has been an almost 60 per cent rise in the last five years.
But many campaigners, including the RSPCA, have aruged that breed-focused legislation is not the answer to the issue.
‘Pleasant woman, very lovely'
Tributes have this afternoon paid tribute to the woman killed by her two XL Bully dogs, who has been named locally as Angeline Mahal.
A neighbour who knew her affectionately as Angel, said: “She was a pleasant woman, very lovely. You could hear the dogs barking, but I never saw them. I knew her as Angel.”
‘Ms Mahal’s two sons discovered her on the floor‘
A relative of Ms Mahal has said that the woman was found in her hallway by her two sons, who both tried CPR while calling an ambulance.
The family member, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “Angeline always kept dogs, she had done for years. Her two most recent dogs were XL bullies. She’d had them since they were puppies and had cages for them. They were properly registered.
“We don’t know the full details yet but I think only one of them attacked her. Her two sons found her in the hallway. They tried to give her CPR but she had already gone. The police and paramedics turned up a little while later.”
Relative warns over XL Bully dog owners
The relative of Angeline Mahal has spoken more to reporters about the mother who was killed by her two registered XL Bully dogs.
She issued a direct warning to any other owner of the breed.
She said: “There’s something I want to make clear and it’s that anyone who has an XL Bully-type dog needs to do the right thing if they spot their pets becoming aggressive and give them up.
“I know it’s hard because people have such an attachment - but we wouldn’t want any other family to go through this. We miss Angeline. She was a sincere person with such a kind heart.”
Pictures from the scene
Police have remained at the house after the death of Angeline Mahal yesterday. Here are some pictures from the scene:
Fatal XL Bully attacks over past year
20 May, 2024 - Angeline Mahal kileld by her two XL Bully dogs at her home in Hornchurch
3 February, 2024 - Grandmother Esther Martin, killed while looking after her grandson in Essex.
October, 2023 - Ian Langley suffered fatal neck injuries in dog attack in Sunderland
September, 2023 - Ian Price killed while protecing his mother in Stonnall in Staffordshire
May, 2023 - Jonathan Hogg attacked by dog in Leigh in Greater Manchester
Relatives say they begged Angeline Mahal to get rid of the dogs
A relative feared Angeline - known as Angel to friends - had been dead for many hours before she was discovered.
He told The Sun: “We miss her, she was sincere and loved by everyone.
“We asked her to get rid of the dogs. The bond with owners and their dogs is too strong.”
He said: “She had two dogs from when they were puppies. They were registered. It was more likely to have been one of them attacked her.
“We are just shocked. You hear about these attacks in a paper but you never expect this to happen to your own family.”
He added: “There’s something I want to make clear and it’s that anyone who has XL Bully-type dog needs to do the right thing if they spot their pets becoming aggressive and give them up.
“I know it’s hard because people have such an attachment - but we wouldn’t want any other family to go through this. We miss Angeline. She was a sincere person with such a kind heart.”
Dogs ‘kept in cages'
Angeline Mahal’s dogs were registered as exempt from the ban on XL Bully dogs, which came into force on 1 February.
Tonight, a close family member of Angeline, known to friends as Angel, said they asked her to get rid fo the dogs, but the bond between them was too strong.
He told The Sun: “She had two dogs from when they were puppies. They were registered. It was more likely to have been one of them attacked her.
“We are just shocked. You hear about these attacks in a paper but you never expect this to happen to your own family.”
He added: “She’s had many dogs over the years. It’s hard to pay attention to them. The dogs took up a lot of her time, they took away her freedom.
“She kept them in cages in one of the rooms. The whole family is distraught from this, her sons are devastated. Angeline was loved by everyone.”
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