Boy, 11, dies after rottweiler attack

An 11-year-old boy savaged two weeks ago by a pair of rottweiler dogs died yesterday of his injuries.

David Kearney, from Darwen, Lancashire, received horrific wounds in the attack. He was said to be so badly mutilated that his mother did not recognise him.

Doctors at Booth Hall Children's Hospital, Manchester, where he died, had to amputate his leg just above the knee after gangrene set in last week. He had since suffered kidney failure and a heart attack and was being kept alive on ventilator.

David was attacked after climbing into a yard, where owner Kevin Turner kept the rottweilers, to retrieve a football. He was bending down to pick up some money that had fallen from his pocket when the dogs attacked.

His sister Amanda, 14, said afterwards: "He stayed to pick it up and one of the dogs came over. He tried to make friends with it but it went for him."

The dogs were destroyed after the attack. Police said initially that no action was expected to be taken against Mr Turner, but a file would be submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service.

David's parents, who spent Christmas at his bedside, were said to be distraught. A friend of the family said: "They knew how badly he was injured but they had been hoping he would pull through. Everyone is terribly upset."

The Rev Dick Cartmell, who baptised David, and comforted his parents at the hospital, said: "Kevin and Margaret were very distressed as they realised their son was dying. I was not there at the very end. His parents were very brave and wanted to be alone with him as he died."

He received the Last Rites from the hospital chaplain.

Fund-raising events to help comfort the family were being arranged by staff and customers at a local pub, the Railway Hotel. Landlord, Michael McCarroll, said: "Everyone felt for the lad and the regulars all wanted to do something to help.

"We will carry on raising money to help the family in any way we can."