A man has been charged after his dog attacked a child in Greenwich, south London.

The 20-month-old boy was bitten in Catherine Grove on Monday – with police and paramedics called just after 10am.

He was taken to hospital but his injuries are not life-threatening or life-changing.

Thomas Ackah, 29, was tracked down by police and charged with being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog.

The dog has been taken to kennels and was reported to be an XL bully. However, police said further tests were required to confirm the breed.

Ackah is due to appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court today,

The government has said it will ban XL bullies after a number of recent attacks.

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Ian Price died after being mauled in Staffordshire last month, and a few days before an XL bully attacked a girl in Birmingham.

In 2021, 10-year-old Jack Lis was mauled to death in Caerphilly by one of the dogs

Two XL bullies were also shot dead in March after killing 22 sheep and injuring dozens of others in North Wales.

However, some have questioned the justification and potential effectiveness of any ban.

Read more:
Why banning the dogs could be problematic
XL bully owner defends breed but calls for tougher laws

The Dog Control Coalition, which includes charities including the RSPCA, Dogs Trust and the Kennel Club, said banning XL bullies would not stop attacks.

It wants ministers to tackle the “root cause” by dealing with “unscrupulous breeders putting profit before welfare”, and “irresponsible owners”.

XL bully owners also recently protested against the ban in London, holding signs saying: “Stop bullying our best friends.”

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