Milton Keynes: Dog that killed Alice Stones not banned breed

The little girl who died has been named by police as four-year-old Alice Stones

A dog that killed a four-year-old girl was not a banned breed, police said.

Alice Stones died when she was attacked by the family pet in a back garden in Broadlands, Milton Keynes, on 31 January.

Thames Valley Police said further testing had to take place to determine which breed of dog it was. Officers said at the time it was "humanely destroyed" following the attack.

The force also confirmed it had since formally identified the four-year-old.

In a statement, police said there had "been a large amount of speculation around the breed of the dog".

"Although we are not in a position to confirm the exact breed of the dog due to the requirement for further testing, we are able to confirm that the dog is not a banned breed," it said.

"We'd also reiterate our ask that the privacy of Alice's family is respected at this extremely difficult time."

Last week about 100 people turned out to a vigil that had been organised at Grand Union Vineyard Church, across the road from the house.