Woman dies in attack by her XL bully dogs

A woman was killed by her American XL bully dogs at her house in east London. She has been identified as Angeline Mahal, aged around 50.

She was attacked by her two dogs at the semi-detached home in Cornwall Close in Hornchurch on Monday aftenoon.

Mahal's two sons found her on the floor around 1 pm before they alerted emergency services.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed Mahal was pronounced dead at the scene. Armed officers later seized the two dogs after containing them in a room.

The arrival of armed police, para medics and air ambulance had created a stir in the neighbourhood.

The police had told neighbours to stay indoors before the area was evacuated shortly after 4 pm.

Her neighbour Sejal Solanki told BBC that it is scary that Mahal was attacked by her own dogs. She had warned her children against going near the dogs.

Both dogs were registered as exempt from the government’s ban on XL bully dogs. From February 1 onwards, it is a criminal offence to own these dogs without an exemption certificate.

Under the agreement for having a dog exempt, owners must have had the animal neutered, have it microchipped and keep it muzzled and lead in public.

The ownership of American XL bully dogs is restricted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

Since December 31, 2023, it has been against the law to sell, give away, abandon, or breed from an XL bully.

The government had imposed these restrictions as they were "disproportionately involved" in deaths recorded since 2021. In several cases, XL bullies had killed their owners.

NHS consultant Richard Baker told BBC that their powerful jaws inflict more damaging wounds than those of other breeds, resulting in broken bones, shredded skin and damaged nerves. Once they grip, they don't let go, he added.

According to NHS data, there were more than 9,200 hospital admissions for dog bites in England in 2022-23, up from 8,700 the previous year.