Two people seriously injured in ‘XL bully’ dog attack

Police had cordoned off the area to attempt to control the dog

Two people have been injured in an attack by an XL bully-type dog in Nottinghamshire.

A man and a woman were attacked by the dog inside of a property at around 5.46pm on Thursday in Worksop, near Sheffield, Nottinghamshire Police said.

The man sustained significant but not life-threatening injures, while the woman received an injury to her arm.

A cordon was put in place while officers attempted to control the dog. The public were asked not to visit the area while the incident was being resolved.

Ownership of XL bully dogs became restricted from February 2024 (Jacob King/PA) (PA Wire)

An update from Nottinghamshire Police on social media said: “Officers are currently dealing with an incident at a property in Maple Leaf Gardens in Worksop. The incident happened at around 5.46pm. Police received a report that a man and a woman had been attacked by an XL bully-type dog inside a property.”

Ownership of XL bully dogs became restricted from February 2024. It is now a criminal offence in the UK to own one of the breed without an exemption certificate.

The ban was put in place after the government said the breed had been “disproportionately involved” involved in dog-related deaths since 2021. Over half of dog-related human deaths in the UK between 2021 and 2023 were caused by an XL bully.

Registered XL bully dogs must be housed securely, neutered and kept on a lead and muzzled in public (but not in the home). Police can seize unregistered dogs, and their owners face up to six months in jail and/or an unlimited fine.