A young woman has tragically died following a series of dog attacks in Surrey, resulting in police detaining seven dogs.
Officers attended to Graverly Hill, Caterham, following reports of a dog attacking members of the public at 2.45pm on Thursday (January 12). Despite the best efforts of paramedics, a woman in her 20s was pronounced dead at the scene.
Meanwhile, a second woman is in hospital receiving treatment for dog-related injuries. However, police have confirmed that her condition is not life-threatening, the Mirror reports.
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Seven dogs were detained at the scene via joint effort by armed officers and the National Police Air Service - they remain in police custody. Chief Inspector Alan Sproston said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the woman who sadly died this afternoon.
“This incident will be concerning to the local community and I would like to reassure them that we believe all dogs have been accounted for and are in police custody. Our investigation to establish the circumstances of the incident remains ongoing and we would ask the community not to speculate."
A noticeable emergency services presence, including armed response office, remains in the area surrounding the incident, according to the force. Anyone with information related to the incident have been urged to message the police, quoting ref PR/P23007962.
Since the Office for National Statistics began recording fatal dog attacks in 2013, there have never been more than five a year. It is believed there are now 12 million dogs in the UK, two million more than before lockdown.
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