PA
A girl of four has suffered a facial injury after being bitten by a dog, believed to be a Labrador, outside a Tesco supermarket in Southend, Essex.
Eye witnesses told the Southend Standard that five police cars were in attendance after the attack, which the BBC report happened at 11.35 on Saturday.
A female shopper said the dog had been tied up outside the store and that she had been told the little girl grabbed its neck.
"The mum was crying and covered in blood, there was lots of it," the unnamed woman said, "I saw a cut on her face, it was quite bad. Someone said the mum's back was turned for just a second and in that time the girl grabbed the dog by its neck."
The woman added that the dog's owner was 'really upset and was crying as well'.
The girl was taken to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford by the police, reportedly because ambulance crews could not confirm when they would arrive.
A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance told the Southend Standard that they had dispatched a rapid response vehicle but were 'stood down by the police'.
Essex Police said they had no further information on the little girl's injuries, other than she had received lacerations to her face. They are said to be 'working' with the owner of the dog, who remained on the scene after the attack.
Labradors are usually noted for their docile nature, and are often chosen as family pets, with Kennel Club registrations suggesting they are the most popular breed in the UK.