Devon and Cornwall Police Charge Woman Following Incident

By Rob Dixon

A 14-year-old girl has had stitches to her lip after being bitten in a dog attack in Torquay on Friday night (June 21st).

The teenager is believed to have been attacked by the dog, thought to have been a pit bull terrier, in a play area in Staddon Gardens. The animal has been seized by officers and investigations into the incident continue.

A 31-year-old woman has been charged with being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control in a public place that caused injury to another person. She was remanded in police custody and is expected to appear at Torquay Magistrates’ Court this week.

Irwin Mitchell’s specialist injury lawyers represent victims and the families of young people across the UK who have suffered serious psychological and physical injuries as a result of dog attacks.

David Urpeth, a Partner and specialist in dog bite claims at the national law firm, said: “It seems that barely a week goes by without reports of such attacks appearing in the media, which demonstrates what a serious issue this is.

“The Government is taking steps to tackle the issue of dangerous dogs but we do not feel the steps taken, such plans to launch compulsory microchipping, are enough.

“We have campaigned for a number of years for the introduction of measures such as insurance and licensing for owners – steps which would be key in ensuring victims of such incidents can get the support they need.

“Steps to tackle this issue need to be two-fold – to reduce the risks of attacks from occurring and guarantee that people affected by such problems are able to fully recover from the terrible psychological and physical impact that attacks can have.”

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in relation to Dog Bite claims