More dogs from pack that savaged girl to be put down

ELEVEN DOGS from a pack that savaged a nine-year-old girl were under sentence of death last night. Twenty-eight have already been destroyed.

Beverley Hurst was attacked by the pack, kept by a farmer, as she walked with her sister Rachael, 12, in Pickmere, Cheshire, on Saturday.

She is described as 'stable' with serious injuries in the Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool. The hospital said the family had asked that no further details about her injuries be released.

A court is likely to make the final decision on another four dogs, currently being kept in kennels in Wilmslow, Cheshire, after being rounded up by police.

The pack's keeper, Alan Gerrard of Hall Farm, Pickmere, has refused permission for the four dogs to be put down. A file on the attack is being prepared by police and will be sent to the Crown Prosecution Service. The CPS will make a final decision on whether to prosecute Mr Gerrard and will also advise police on whether to apply to magistrates for an order to have the remaining four dogs put down.

All the dogs from the pack have been rounded up. The 11 found yesterday were not thought to be dangerous, but police said they wanted to avoid any possibility of a recurrence.

Pamela Hurst, who rescued her daughter after the alarm was raised, did not enlarge on her statement on Monday in which she said Beverley was in no pain but had severe injuries, and the full extent of the damage would not not be known for some time.

(Photograph omitted)