Police were called on Friday 27 November with reports that the boy had been walking his dog with his family at Langdon Hills recreation ground shortly before 7.30pm when another dog approached them.

The dog was reported to have acted aggressively towards the family’s dog before attacking the boy, when he tried to separate the two dogs.

The dog was described as a black Staffordshire Bull Terrier type dog with long legs. It didn’t have a collar and was not accompanied by its owner.

Police are appealing for anyone who was in the area around the time and witnessed the attack, saw a dog matching this description in the area, or knows where the dog may have come from.

In a statement, police said, “we understand that this incident will cause concerns within the community, but officers are in the area searching for the dog and speaking to as many people as possible to find out if they have any information, which could help us with our investigation.”

If you have any information,  Please call 101 quoting reference 42/194565/20 when providing any information.