Sniffer dog injures young girl as she visits Belmarsh prison

A toddler has been injured by a sniffer dog while visiting a relative at a high security London jail.

The young girl is understood to have been bitten by a drug patrol dog at Belmarsh prison in Woolwich, in the south east of the capital.

Prison authorities investigated the March 31 incident and the dog was withdrawn from service.

A source told the Sunday People: "The dog went crazy and just went for the little girl. She was screaming. Until then, it had just been a routine drugs search."

The Ministry of Justice said in 2015 there were more than 530 dogs deployed at prisons in England and Wales, performing duties including searching visitors to prevent drugs from being smuggled inside.