Dog which bit woman in Blackpool suspected to be XL bully, police say

Police said the woman was attacked on Blackpool's Havelock Street

A woman has been bitten by a dog which police said was "suspected to be an XL bully" after confronting its owner.

The woman was attacked on Blackpool's Havelock Street after stopping her car to confront a man seen "punching the dog in the face" at about 17:30 BST on Monday, a witness said.

Lancashire Police said the woman, who is in her 20s, suffered a hand injury.

A man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of having a dog dangerously out of control, the force added.

A police representative said armed officers were sent to an address where the man was held.

"A dog, suspected to be an XL bully type, was seized from the address," they added.

• What is an XL bully and why are they being banned?

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Emelia McPartland, 19, told the Press Association she had seen a man "dragging the dog and shouting at it".

"He started punching the dog in the face," she said, before a passing car stopped and a woman got out.

"[She] was shouting at him, saying what he was doing is disgusting," she said.

"He was telling her to mind her business."

Ms McPartland said the woman then approached the man and was bitten by the dog.

Ownership of XL bully dogs is restricted in England, Scotland and Wales under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and since 31 December 2023, it has been against the law to sell, give away, abandon or breed from an XL bully.

On 1 February 2024, it became a criminal offence to own an XL bully without an exemption certificate.

Incident Room: XL Bully Ban, What Next?

BBC reporter Jordan Davies asks experts why the ban on the American XL bully dog is controversial and what impact it is likely to have.

Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK only)