Toddler needs hospital care after dog attack

The two-year-old was with her mother in a park in Howden, when she started playing with a white West Highland terrier which was being taken for a walk by three young girls.

The toddler played with the dog, which was on a lead, for a short time, but it then turned aggressive and bit the youngster on her cheek, leaving her with several scratches and a small puncture wound.

She was treated at Goole District Hospital.

Humberside Police officers want to speak to the three girls, who are thought to be aged about 15 or 16.

The attack happened on Monday at about 4.50pm in Howden Park on Treaton Road in Howden, where dogs are not allowed. The mother, who was with two other people as well as her daughter, spoke to the teenagers but no details were exchanged.

Police are now trying to trace the youngsters and the dog's owner, as well as any witnesses.

The incident is the latest in a series of dog attacks in the region.

Last week a police dog, let loose to help catch a teenager obstructing traffic, attacked an 11-year-old boy from York as he played with his friends only yards away from his home.