A man mauled to death by two American XL bullies was reportedly protecting his elderly mother after the crazed animals entered their garden.
Father-of-two Ian Price suffered fatal injuries after the two dogs escaped from a neighbouring property and attacked him.
Emergency services were called to Main Street in Stonnall at 3.15pm and Mr Price was airlifted to hospital, where he sadly died a few hours later.
Tributes have been paid to Mr Price, pictured here with sports presenter Claire Balding— (Facebook)
A 30-year-old man from the Lichfield area has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and remains in police custody.
Neighbours in the quiet Staffordshire village have now said Mr Price was outside his mother’s home when the two dogs jumped from a window and began ripping at his clothes.
One local told the Mirror: “My daughter heard screaming and barking and came running out to see what was happening. One of the dogs, a white one, was covered in blood and wagging its tail.
“She said it was a horrific sight. The dogs ripped the clothes off the poor man, literally shredded his clothes. He was only in his boxers.”
Neighbours attempted to intervene and fend the animals away, while others are said to have used wheelie bins.
Staffordshire Police believe both dogs were American XL bullies but further tests are due to be carried out. One of the dogs was killed at the scene while the second was put down by a vet.
Mr Price, pictured with Mike Tindall, was said to have been outside his mother’s home when the attack happened— (Facebook)
Shortly after news of Mr Price’s death, Rishi Sunak announced his intention to ban the dangerous breed by the end of the year.
Following a recent spate of attacks, including one on an 11-year-old girl last week, the prime minister said that the American XL bullies were a danger to communities and children.
In a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said it was now clear that the problem was not “about a handful of badly trained dogs”. “It is a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on,” he said.
“While owners already have a responsibility to keep their dogs under control, I want to reassure people that we are urgently working on ways to stop these attacks and protect the public.”
The government is looking to ban the breed after a spate of attacks (file image)— (Getty/iStock)
As a result of the attack on Mr Price, police were forced to place a local primary school into lockdown to ensure the safety of pupils.
In a statement, St Peter’s CE Primary Academy said: "Staff at St Peter’s CE Primary Academy were notified around 3.25pm of an incident on Main Street. The academy immediately sent a text through to all parents to notify them of the incident, with leaders and teachers advising pupils and parents to return to the academy site.
"The academy gates remained closed until further notification was received by the police; it was safe to reopen the site.
“The actions and behaviours of pupils, staff and parents during this incident was greatly recognised by the academy. St Chad’s Academies Trust, who operates St Peter’s CE Primary Academy, continues to support the pupils and staff along with colleagues from Lichfield Diocese, Schools Advisory Service and local clergy in providing as much support as it can to the school community at present.
“The academy has remained open. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, pupils, parents and staff at the academy who are hurting from this news."
