Pensioner mauled to death by dog run wild
A retired hospital porter was killed in his own kitchen by a dog belonging to a neighbour. It is thought the animal was attracted by the smell of cooking meat.
Two women aged 27 and 28, who live together at the house where the dog was kept, have been arrested and were tonight being held on suspicion of an offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
Mr Clarke was described by a friend Susan Carson, 60, as “a caring gentleman” who always made time to befriend people in the community.
“I spoke to him on my mobile telephone just minutes before it happened,” she said. “He rang me to say he was up and about and cooking a lamb shank for his dinner.
“He said it was hot in the kitchen with the oven and the sunshine, and that he had opened the back door to let the steam out.
“I can only think the dog might have gone for him because it sniffed the lamb cooking. He had been complaining to me about the dogs only the day before and said he was going to make a report to the police about the nuisance. He was annoyed about them barking at all hours of the day and night. He said the women left the house empty with the dogs roaming in the garden.
“He said they could attack somebody and was worried that the biggest dog had been trying to escape and made a hole in the fence that it could get through.”
Police said they were called to an address on Richard Kelly Close just before 8.40pm on Saturday after reports of a dog attack on an elderly man.
A Merseyside Police spokesman said: “Officers found [the] body of the man in the garden and were confronted by a dog that was out of control. Armed officers were called to the scene and the dog was destroyed.”
Mrs Carson added: “Cliff was in a terrible state when they brought him out – he was a bloody mess. He was only wearing his underwear and one slipper.
“This is a terrible tragedy. He was a lovely, kind, caring gentleman who made a lot of time for people in the community. He was very thoughtful and well liked by everybody in the street. We are never going to get over this.
“There should be a better system for reporting and controlling dangerous dogs. Dogs like those who are out of control in a garden are a menace and they should be rounded up. The council or the Government has got to do something about this before more people are killed.”
Friends said Mr Clarke had been born and lived his entire life in the inter-war three-bedroom house where he was killed.
The former national serviceman had only last Friday celebrated his 79th birthday with a meal with friends at the nearby Farmers Arms pub.
Neighbours said the dog was sandy and brindle coloured, and appeared to be a Staffordshire and bull terrier cross breed. They said that the two women had moved into the house last year. They “came and went” and kept two terriers and a smaller dog, often leaving them roaming in the unkempt garden.
A Merseyside Police spokesman said: “A post mortem is taking place to establish the cause of death. House-to-house inquiries are under way and crime scene investigators are carrying out forensic examinations at the scene.”
In March a 14-year-old girl died after she was attacked by a pack of dogs at a house in Greater Manchester.
Jade Anderson was savaged by up to five dogs at a house she was visiting in Atherton, near Wigan, as she ate a meat pie. Four of the animals, described by police as bull mastiffs and Staffordshire bull terriers, were shot by police, while the fifth was “contained”.
