Irwin Mitchell Welcomes Swift Investigation Into Attack

By Suzanne Rutter

Specialist lawyers have joined the devastated family of a 79-year-old man who was killed by an ‘out of control dog’ in Liverpool in calls for tougher dog laws to be introduced to protect others from further attacks.

Clifford Clarke was in the garden of his home in Clubmoor, Liverpool, when he was mauled to death by the animal. Two local women, aged 28 and 27, were being questioned on suspicion of manslaughter and an offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act. A spokesman for Merseyside Police has said both suspects have been bailed as police make further inquiries about Mr Clarke’s tragic death, which a post mortem confirmed was due to ‘multiple injuries consistent with a dog attack.’

The breed of the dog which attacked Mr Clarke has yet to be established but police shot the animal at the scene.

The incident happened just a month after a 16-year-old boy was attacked at a house in Bootle in Liverpool and two months after Jade Anderson was killed by five dogs at a friend’s house in Atherton, near Wigan in Greater Manchester.

Mr Clarke’s brother has since called for people to support new laws for dog owners “because you would not like any of your loved ones to have this happen to them.”

David Urpeth, an expert in dog attacks at law firm Irwin Mitchell, said: “This is another case which shows the devastating consequences dog attacks can have on people’s lives. With the number of hospital admissions in relation to dog bites as well as people being sentenced for such attacks on the rise, we would reiterate that new measures are needed to address this issue and provide better protection to the general public.

“We welcome a swift investigation by police into this latest incident and hope lessons can be learnt so that tragedies like this can be prevented in future.

“We are pleased the Government is introducing compulsory microchipping for all dogs from April 2016 to help reunite owners with lost or stolen pets, relieve the burden on animal charities and local authorities and protect the welfare of dogs by promoting responsible dog ownership. But we have also long campaigned for ministers to consider the introduction of insurance and licensing that would ensure victims of attacks can get the help they need.

“We want the Government to put a system in place to not only reduce attacks but which also guarantees that people injured in such incidents can get access to the support and rehabilitation they need provided by proper insurance.”

For more information about Irwin Mitchell's expertise relating to Dog Bite Claims.