Girl, 3, abused online after dog attack

Bunnie Skinley's new kitten, Coco, has been providing comfort since the attack

A man whose three-year-old daughter was attacked by a dog has criticised the abuse she has since received online.

Rowen Skinley, from Rainham, said the attack by the cockapoo on his daughter, Bunnie, was "totally unprovoked" and that the bite marks indicate that her arm was "tucked in" at the time.

Kent Police said it was investigating a report that a child was bitten by a dog in Silverspot Close at about 15:30 BST on Tuesday.

But the girl, who needed reconstructive surgery to her arm, was later targeted by "vicious" abuse on social media, said her father.

"She is a bigger girl and [there has been] some not-so-nice comments," said Mr Skinley.

"It's horrible, she's a three-year-old girl."

Speaking about the attack, he said: "Her arm was bleeding so badly that I had to hold it together."

Mr Skinley says the online abuse against his daughter has been "vicious"

Bunnie was sent to St Thomas' Hospital in London for surgery, but the owner of the dog fled the scene and is yet to come forward.

There have been 1,195 dog attacks reported to Kent Police last year, up 33% since 2018.

Canine behaviourist Daniel Shaw said dogs of any size are a risk to humans, not just larger breeds.

"Smaller dogs can have similar issues in terms of temperament, not coping well in certain situations, so you may see similar injuries but because they're smaller generally the damage is less severe," said Mr Shaw.