Man seriously injured in Wales dog attack by relative’s pet as armed police swoop in

A man has been seriously injured in an attack by his relative’s dog, as armed police descended on the horror scene in South Wales.

Police were alerted to an incident involving a man and a dog, believed to be either a Pitbull or a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, in Aberavon on Monday morning.

Officers, including armed police, and paramedics attended the scene at around 7am on Blair Way, where a 24-year-old man was seriously injured.

The Welsh Ambulance Service said the patient was treated at the scene in an air ambulance before being rushed to hospital by road. His injuries are serious but not considered life-threatening.

South Wales Police said the dog has been sedated and removed from the scene by Police Dog units, with armed officers there to ensure public safety.

The force confirmed the victim was a family member of the animal’s owner.

Its investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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Neighbours said armed police had been searching the area for the animal on Monday morning, which is near St Joseph's Junior School, as local residents were warned to remain indoors.

Speaking to BBC Wales, one said: “It was a pitbull-type dog they rescued from a drug house about seven months ago.

"I saw seven or eight police cars at least here. There were armed police here searching for the dog.

"My door was getting banged at 7.30am, police wanted to check our back gardens. They told us to stay inside."

Pointing to bloodstained marks on a gate and fence, she continued: “I thought it might be the dog’s blood, but the boy’s brother arrived and told me it was the boy's. He’s in a bad way.

"They don’t live here, they were walking the dog in the field when it happened."

Another neighbour added: "I saw a policeman with a gun walking past my window, searching for the dog."

It comes less than two weeks after a 23-year-old woman died after she was savaged by a dog at a gated house in County Limerick, Ireland.

The victim was attacked by the animal at the property in the village of Ballyneety on the night of 4 June.

Despite treatment at the scene, she was pronounced dead and her body was taken to hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Local Garda said the dog involved in the attack was put down, while several others at the address were seized.