Victims of dog attacks have reported up to three times as many cases during the Covid-19 pandemic, specialist lawyers have found.
Hospitals, police and lawyers have recorded huge surges in the number of dog attacks over the last year.
Figures reveal that reports of offences to police involving out-of-control dogs had already jumped by 50 per cent over four years to 14,478 incidents in 2019.
Victims of dog attacks have reported up to three times as many cases during the Covid-19 pandemic, specialist lawyers have found. Pictured: Eight-year-old Poppy who was savaged by a Staffordshire bull terrier
And over the course of the last year cases have risen by another 300 per cent, according to dog injury specialist lawyers.
Meanwhile last year Alder Hey Children's Hospital saw a tripling of youngsters being admitted with dog bite injuries during periods of lockdown, according to research by vet and epidemiologist John Tulloch at the University of Liverpool.
And police have seen sharp rises, with the Metropolitan Police reporting a 14 per cent increase in recorded dog attacks for 2020-21 to 2,140 cases.
Construction manager Meg Morris, 31, told of her torment after eight-year-old daughter Poppy was savaged by a friend's Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which was subsequently destroyed, in March.
Figures reveal that reports of offences to police involving out-of-control dogs had already jumped by 50 per cent over four years to 14,478 incidents in 2019. And over the course of the last year cases have risen by another 300 per cent, according to dog injury specialist lawyers. Pictured: Poppy sat with her mother Meg Harris, 31
Speaking about her daughter's injury while her family were visiting a friend's house in Leominster, Herefordshire, Meg said: 'The dog just jumped up and attacked us as we were walking outside – it came out of nowhere and there was no warning'
Meg, who was visiting a friend's house in Leominster, Herefordshire, with her two daughters, said: 'The dog just jumped up and attacked us as we were walking outside – it came out of nowhere and there was no warning.
‘It had jumped up at Poppy, and I pushed it away – it took seconds.
‘I picked her up straight away and shouted at my other daughter to ring 999.
‘When it happened she was in shock, and then within a minute it had swelled up so she couldn’t’ speak.
Meg also said: '‘She’ll always have a scar and is wary of everything now – she used
