Police forces have recorded an huge spike in the number of dog attacks on people across the UK – and new interactive maps show which areas have seen the most incidents.
Cases of dog attacks have gone up in every part of England and Wales, the worrying figures have shown, with incidents doubling since 2019 in five areas. Overall, there were an average of 87 offences recorded per day of a person being injured in a dog attack during 2024. The largest increase in the number of dog attacks was recorded by Cleveland Police, where they went up by a massive 163% between 2019 and 2024. Other police force areas where reported offences doubled over the same time period were Lancashire, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire and Devon & Cornwall. Check out our interactive map below to see your area:
Here are the police areas with the highest rates of dog attacks in 2024, per 100,00 of the population:
Statistics obtained by the BBC via Freedom of Information requests, showed that dog attacks have been on the increase in every area over the last few years. That’s despite new rules coming into effect last year over the sale and ownership of American XL Bully dogs.
Since February 1, 2024, it has been a criminal offence to own an XL Bully without an exemption certificate. Separate figures show that a total of 31 people have been killed in dog attacks since 2022, with most of these incidents involving XL Bullies.
The highest number of dog attacks recorded in 2024 was in the Metropolitan Police area, which was 2,747, an increase of 65 per cent on 2019. However, when population is taken into account, the London area had the lowest rate of dog attacks of any police force area in England and Wales.
Across the country, the average rate of dog attacks was 52 per 100,000 population, and in the Metropolitan Police area, the rate was just over 30 per 100,000 people.
The highest rate was in Gwent, south Wales, where there were 90 dog attacks per 100,000 population last year. The Mirror has approached Gwent Police for comment.
There have already been two fatal XL Bully attacks in the UK so far this year, while several more incidents have left people injured.
John McColl, 84, died on March 40 after being savaged by an XL Bully while walking home in Warrington, Merseyside a month earlier. Two dogs were killed by officers, who fired a total of 19 shots to bring the attack to a halt. His family said: “Our dad, grandad and great-grandad will always be loved by us all and sadly missed by each and every one of us.”
An autopsy also confirmed that a banned XL Bully dog was behind the fatal mauling of 19-year-old Morgan Dorsett in February. The teenager suffered fatal injuries after being mauled by the dog inside a flat, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Morgan was visiting Bristol from her home in Shropshire at the time of her death.
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that the dog had been destroyed. A man and a woman, both in their 20s, were arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control, causing injury resulting in death and possession of a prohibited breed of dog. They were both later released on conditional bail.
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