Merseyside Police appeal for information after teenager injured by dog on Formby beach

Merseyside Police are investigating after reports of a teenager being injured by a dog on Formby Beach on Saturday, 12 August.

Shortly before 7.50pm, officers attended the scene and found that a 19-year-old man had suffered minor injuries after allegedly being bitten by a German Shepherd dog which was not being controlled by its owners.

The victim did not require hospital treatment, but was advised to visit a health facility for a tetanus booster.

Officers present conducted a thorough search of the local area to locate the dog and its owners, but were unable to locate them.

Enquiries into the incident are currently ongoing and officers are following a number of lines of enquiry. As part of the investigation officers are keen to hear from anyone who believes that they may have witnessed the incident.

Sgt Paul Riding from Merseyside Police said: “Whilst investigations in relation to this incident are ongoing, I would like to take this as an opportunity to remind all dog owners to ensure that they keep their pets under control at all times.”

“As the summer holidays continue it’s likely that lots of families with young children will be visiting parks and recreation areas across Merseyside and it’s important that they are kept safe for everyone.”

An eyewitness said: "I've just witnessed a young boy being attacked by a German shepherd. The family with the dog were drinking and had two young children, foreign speaking. Their dog is a danger to anyone around. I have never seen anything so vicious. The poor guy attacked was on his first visit to Formby and was very shaken up. We helped him get his car and have left him with the police. It was horrendous to witness this poor boy."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Merseyside Police on 101 quoting incident number 1011 of 12/8/2017.