Sheffield dog shot Fox Lane: Police confirm school pupils had to be kept in for safety after woman attacked

Alastair Ulke
By Alastair Ulke
Published 1st Nov 2022, 13:59 BST
Updated 1st Nov 2022, 14:00 BST
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Police had to advise Sheffield schools to keep their pupils inside while a potentially dangerous dog was on the loose.

Officers were called to the fields near Hollinsend Cricket Club off Fox Lane at around 2pm yesterday afternoon (October 31) after a woman was severely bitten on the arm by her own dog. While the breed hasn’t been confirmed by police, witnesses told The Star they believed it was a mastiff.

The dog then reportedly ran from the scene towards Thornbridge Close. Local schools were advised to keep students indoors while police officers attended the scene. Residents told The Star they saw officers arrive ‘armed with shotguns’. Shortly afterwards, gunshots were heard coming from the scene.

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One resident said: “I heard what I thought was one shot, and then it went quiet. Two minutes later, they jumped in their police cars and went round to Thornbridge Drive, and my friend told me they appeared there. He said he thought he heard two shots, and then another two.”

A dog was destroyed by police on Thornbridge Drive in Sheffield yesterday (October 31) after it severely bit its owner on the arm. The picture shows police guarding the scene this eveningA dog was destroyed by police on Thornbridge Drive in Sheffield yesterday (October 31) after it severely bit its owner on the arm. The picture shows police guarding the scene this evening
A dog was destroyed by police on Thornbridge Drive in Sheffield yesterday (October 31) after it severely bit its owner on the arm. The picture shows police guarding the scene this evening

South Yorkshire Police have now confirmed they destroyed the dog at the scene after deeming it a risk to public safety. A spokesperson for the force said: “It was determined that the dog was a potential risk to public safety and the decision was unfortunately made to destroy the dog to protect the public. Officers continue to investigate the matter to see if any offences had been committed.”

The woman was taken to hospital with serious arm injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening. The incident led to a wooded part of the park being cordoned off by police for several hours.