Dog attack leaves 'screaming' mechanic with 'inch-wide gash' as Akita-type canine seized

A man has been left with serious injuries after an Akita-type dog attack in Middlesbrough.

Officers were called to a home on Mayfair Avenue on Monday after a 26-year-old suffered serious injuries to his arm during the attack. He was raced to the James Cook University Hospital for treatment, where he currently remains.

Cleveland Police confirmed that a woman, 37, has been arrested on suspicion of having a dog dangerously out of control and that the dog has since been seized and placed in a secure police facility. The mother of the victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, has now spoken out about the incident, saying neighbours were left "in fear".

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"I haven't eaten anything all day," the woman said. "Last night my son went out the front to put his tools in a van and the next thing I heard him screaming 'get off me.' I opened the door and he fell into it."

She claimed that the dog tried to follow her son, a mechanic, into the home but she was able to fight back, forcing it to retreat. She described the canine as being "the size of a Shetland pony."

The Grove Hill resident said she "dreads to think" what would have happened if one of her grandchildren was following her son outside the door at the time. She continued: "He had a gash on his forearm which was an inch wide. You could see the flesh underneath and where the teeth dragged the flesh out. He has fractured his arm but we won't know until the surgery how much damage has been done."

The woman said her son was scheduled for surgery this afternoon. Cleveland Police confirmed he is still receiving treatment at the Middlesbrough hospital.

A full statement from the force said: "Police in Middlesbrough have today seized an Akita-type dog and arrested a 37-year-old woman on suspicion of having a dog dangerously out of control. This comes after police were called to an address on Mayfair Avenue at around 8pm last night, Monday, May 13.

"A 26-year-old man sustained serious injuries to his arm and he is still receiving treatment in James Cook University Hospital. The dog was seized and is currently in a secure police facility whilst the woman is questioned and other enquiries continue."

A North East Ambulance spokeswoman said: "We were called at 8pm last night to a private address in the Grove Hill area of Middlesbrough. We dispatched a double crewed ambulance and one patient was taken to James Cook Hospital. "