Boy, five, attacked by XL Bully had ‘half his scalp ripped off’

A police handler is seen in footage taking the XL Bully dog away

Credit: Ben Lack

A five-year-old boy had “half his scalp ripped off” after being attacked by an XL bully-type dog,his mother has said.

In shocking footage of the incident,which took place in Hull on Monday,the boy can be heard saying,“Mummy I don’t like it”,before he emerges from the house in his mother’s arms with his head covered in blood.

He was rushed to hospital where he reportedly underwent emergency surgery.

The mother,who cannot be named,told friends: “He has been so brave. However,he has had half his scalp ripped off and will be scarred for life.

She said it was “ripped off down to the skull. I cannot believe how good he has been. He is a little soldier,bless him.”

The attack reportedly took place at a house the mother and child were visiting on the bank holiday.

The boy was set upon “within seconds” after they arrived at the property,a family friend said.

“It took three guys to get the dog off him,” she said. “If those three guys were not there I don’t think the [child] would still be here.”

A friend said the boy would “need more treatment”.

Heard pleading for ambulance

Although an ambulance was already on its way,the pair were taken to hospital by a passing car in a desperate bid to save the child’s life.

Several police vans arrived at the scene at about nearby and the area was cordoned off nearly four hours.

Crime scene investigators found part of the boy’s bloodied scalp still lying on the front room carpet of the house,where it was later collected so surgeons could attempt to re-attach it.

Police seized the dog from its owner.

Footage shows the alleged owner pleading with police that “it is a good dog” as the suspected XL bully was taken away.

A man whose wife witnessed the attack said: “The kid was completely scalped. Some of his head was completely gone. You could see all his skull.

“The guy who took him to hospital came back for the scalp because the hospital only had so much time before the cells would start to die.”

Humberside Police said on Wednesday said that inquiries into the attack were continuing.

Detective Chief Inspector Allison Sweeting said: “We are working closely with the boy’s family and the owner of the dog to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“At this stage,the breed of dog is believed to be an XL bully-type and it has been seized as part of our inquiries.”