Police seize XL bully found tied to road sign

Police have confirmed the dog is an XL bully

An XL bully has been seized by police after it was found tied to a road sign in the early hours.

The dog was discovered alone on Oak Lane, near Blidworth, Nottinghamshire, by Arcelina and Jose Baptista as they travelled to work on Monday morning.

Fearing it was "a trap", the couple called the police and the animal was subsequently taken away by officers.

Nottinghamshire Police has since "confirmed the dog as an XL bully" and said inquiries were ongoing to locate its owner.

• How dangerous are XL bullies and how does the ban work?

Mrs Baptista, from Rainworth, said: "The dog was just in the corner, alone.

"I told my husband not to get out of the car because I was scared - what if it was a trap or something?"

The 52-year-old, who owns two cats and a sausage dog, added: "It was very sad, my husband was sad too."

It became illegal to own an XL bully in England and Wales without an exemption certificate on 1 February.

It is also illegal to abandon, give away, buy or sell the breed of dogs.

A police spokesman confirmed the force was called at 01:00 BST on Monday to reports of a dog found abandoned.

"We found it tied to a road sign at the junction of the A614 and Oak Lane, near Blidworth," he said.

"The dog was seized and inquiries are being carried out to find the owner."

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