Five-year-old girl suffers facial injuries during dog attack in County Durham | UK news

A five-year-old girl has suffered “significant” injuries to her face after she was attacked by a dog outside a convenience store in County Durham. She was taken to hospital for treatment, while the dog who mauled her has been seized, according to Cleveland police.

The incident happened near a Nisa shop in Norton, Stockton-on-Tees, at about 6.30pm on Saturday. Police said the owner of the dog remained at the scene of the attack and cooperated with officers.

A force spokesperson added: “Officers attended the scene within minutes of the report being called in and provided medical assistance to the girl while waiting for the ambulance. The girl has suffered significant injuries to her face and is receiving treatment in hospital.

“We would politely ask people to not post photos relating to the incident and to avoid speculating on social media while officers continue with their investigation.”

The number of dog attacks recorded by police in England and Wales has risen by more than a third in the past five years, a BBC investigation found earlier this year.

There were nearly 22,000 cases of out-of-control dogs causing injury last year, compared with just over 16,000 in 2018.

Fatalities from dog attacks have also increased sharply in recent years, and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has said the rise in recorded dog attacks is due to increased police focus on this crime.

The deputy chief constable, Robert Carden, who leads the dangerous dogs working group, told the Guardian: “There is anecdotal evidence from rehoming centres that they are seeing a rise in dogs with behavioural problems being handed in. It is difficult to know the reasons for this, but it could be attributed to dogs bought during lockdown who missed out on key socialisation and have then become too difficult to handle in maturity.”