Two people arrested as young child fights for life after dog attack

A child is fighting for life in hospital after being attacked by a dog as two people remain in police custody.

Police shot the animal dead after it bit the youngster during the incident in the Jenkins Dale area of Chatham, Kent, on Tuesday evening.

A neighbour said she heard a gunshot and saw the child, reported to be a girl, being carried to an ambulance.

The child, said to be a toddler, is in a critical condition in a London hospital. There was no immediate condition update on the child's condition from police on Wednesday morning.

Two people have been arrested and are in custody while inquiries continue, Kent Police said.

The attack came two days after armed police shot dead two pitbull-type dogs that attacked a man and woman in the street in Bolton, Greater Manchester.

Officers were called to Queen's Park in Chorley New Road on Sunday after reports that five dogs were dangerously out of control. Daniel Hennessy, 39, has been charged with allowing dogs to be dangerously out of control.

As inquiries continued in Chatham, Kent Police appealed to members of the public who may have footage of the incident to contact police and not to share it on social media.

One man wrote on Facebook: "Personally knowing the family and the child involved and seeing the aftermath of such an event has shocked me!

"Hoping the little girl ,which I will not name, is ok and is in the best possible care. I'm with the sister now who is shocked and shaken."

Jaspreet Uppal, who lives nearby, told the Press Association: "First I heard a gunshot, there was a dog on the floor. A few officers carried out a child from the back area of the flats.

"There is a little park there. I could not see the child, they were covered. I think they were quite small."

Local MP Tracey Crouch said: "Horrible news from Chatham this evening. My thoughts and prayers are with the child and their family tonight."