Police destroy dog after attack near Hemlington Lake as woman and pet injured

Police officers destroyed a dog after an attack near Hemlington Lake in which a woman and her pet were injured. Cleveland Police says the action was taken "due to the serious nature of the incident and the potential risk to other people in the immediate area". A member of the public was reportedly walking her dog when an 'unaccompanied Pitbull type dog' struck. Reports were made to the force of a dog being dangerously out of control. The woman was bitten, though not seriously, say officers. However, her dog did suffer serious injuries and is undergoing emergency veterinary surgery. The animal's current condition is not known. Assistant Chief Constable Dave Sutherland said: “Initial indications are that a member of the public was walking her dog when she was approached by an unaccompanied Pitbull type dog which then attacked her pet. “The lady sustained a dog bite during the incident and thankfully this is not believed to be of a serious nature, however sadly her own dog sustained very serious injuries and was taken to the vet by police officers, where it is currently receiving emergency treatment. “Unfortunately, due to the serious nature of this incident and the potential risk to other people in the immediate area, our specially trained officers had to put the dog down near the scene. We understand that anyone who witnessed the initial attack or the aftermath may have experienced shock or distress however the safety of the public is always paramount. “Enquiries are ongoing, and we are appealing for anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Cleveland Police via the 101 number or via the force website. Please quote reference 125672.” Did you know you can make Teesside Live a preferred source of Teesside news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here's more information about what this means and how to do it - you can also do it by clicking here . For the latest Teesside news direct to your inbox every day, sign up to our free newsletter