Dog attacks rise in months.after the ban on XL bullies

Dog attacks have continued to rise despite a ban on the XL bully breed, exclusive figures obtained by The Independent reveal.

- ALEX ROSS

Campaign groups have slammed the "knee-jerk" policy while demanding an overhaul of legislation by the new Labour government.

Under a change to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 last year, on 1 February it became illegal to own an XL bully without a certificate of exemption. The announcement by then prime minister Rishi Sunak was prompted by a series of attacks involving the breed, including the fatal mauling of a man by two dogs near Walsall in the West Midlands.

But the move faced opposition from animal welfare groups, such as the RSPCA and Dogs Trust, which said banning the XL bully would not stop attacks, while highlighting a “lack of data” behind the decision. Now, data obtained by The Independent shows the number of recorded incidents of out-of-control dogs injuring people or guide dogs has risen by 9 per cent since the ban came in.

In the five months since 1 February there were 6,392 attacks recorded by police in England and Wales, up from 5,888 in the same period in 2023. The data came from 27 police forces which responded to a freedom of information request.

Since the ban there have also been at least seven fatal dog attacks. They include the death of Esther Martin, who was attacked by two XL bullies in Essex. A 40-year-old man has been charged by police over the grandmother’s death.

XL bully owner Sophie Coulthard said the figures proved breedled legislation was not the solution to tackling the number of attacks. Last month, she was given the green light to bring forward a High Court challenge to the government’s ban on the breed.

Speaking to The Independent, she said: “The PM [then Rishi Sunak] said it was important to keep the public safe, but this ban has not kept the public safe. We said all along it was a knee-jerk reaction and that there was an opportunity for real reform in the UK and much better legislation, and this [the data] shows that.”