A three-year-old boy who died in a dog attack was living on the farm where the incident happened, the MEN understands. The child and his family were renting residential property on the site.
Meanwhile, a woman says she made a complaint to police last year after she was mauled by a dog while she was walking on a footpath just yards from where the fatal attack happened in Carr Lane, Milnrow. Kia Walker suffered horrific injuries to her arm.
It is not clear if the same dog was involved in the attack on the boy. Kia, 19, was on a walk when she claims two dogs running loose on the public path attacked her, with one jumping up at her and one biting her arm in April last year.
READ MORE: Three-year-old boy dies after being 'attacked by a dog' in Rochdale
“It’s sad really, because maybe people would’ve done more about it and it could’ve saved a little boy’s life,” she told the M.E.N.
She said she made a complaint to police, but added: “They just said that the investigation couldn’t go any further because there wasn’t enough evidence”. Police said Kia chose to take no further action.
Today, in a complex investigation, police confirmed they had destroyed a dog and seized several others. It is not known who owns them. Officers remain at the scene, where the three-year-old was attacked yesterday. Paramedics were initially called at around 1pm yesterday.
The youngster was found outside with serious injuries and rushed to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. Police said they believe he 'succumbed to injuries received as a result of a dog attack'.
Pictures taken this morning show several officers at the scene in Carr Lane. A pathway surrounded by woodland remains closed off.
Greater Manchester Police said enquiries are continuing. No arrests have been made. The family of the child have left the property they were living in in the wake of the tragedy.
In a statement GMP said: "Enquiries have established that the boy was outdoors with a number of dogs prior to being found with serious injuries. Several dogs have been seized.
"One has been humanely destroyed. Enquiries in relation to the dogs are ongoing.
"A thorough investigation is ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident and review other incidents of note. Due to previous contact, GMP’s Professional Standards Branch is making a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct."
Commenting on the death of the boy, Detective Superintendent Jamie Daniels, of GMP's Public Protection and Serious Crime Division, said: "This is a tragic, devastating incident and our thoughts are with the family at this horrendous time. We are investigating the incident and previous incidents involving dogs at this address.
"While our enquiries to find out what happened will be thorough and are very much in their infancy, we suspect that this little boy has, sadly, succumbed to injuries received as a result of a dog attack. I understand this is an extremely distressing incident for all concerned and this news will rock the local community.
"I can only assure everyone that we will work relentlessly to establish the full circumstances that led to this tragedy and while we retain an open mind, this is now being dealt with as a criminal investigation. There will be a significant police presence in the area - we will be there to carry out an investigation and address any concerns residents may have."
Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 5413 quoting incident 1615 of 15/05/2022. Information can also be reported online or by using the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk. If you can't report online, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
