Five-year-old girl mauled by bulldog

A five-year-old girl suffered severe facial injuries when she was attacked by an American bulldog, police said today.

The girl's stepfather grappled with the animal, a family pet, to force it to release her but received injuries to his arm in the process.

The girl and man were taken to hospital by ambulance following the attack at an address in Hanemill Court, Northampton, at about 7.15pm yesterday.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police, who were called to the scene, said: "Their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening at this time.

"Police contained the dog at the scene and it will be humanely destroyed later today."

The attack comes after 18-month-old Zumer Ahmed was mauled to death in Crawley, West Sussex, last month by a family pet also believed to be an American bulldog.

The breed is not banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act, police have said.