POLICE DOGS INJURE TWO PEOPLE AFTER ESCAPING GARDEN

Two members of the public suffered minor injuries after two police dogs escaped from their handler’s garden in Sileby, Leicestershire, according to Leicestershire Police. The dogs, one operational and one retired, got out of the property on Tuesday, 20 October. Footage showed them barking in the street before moving towards a woman. A man driving through the area stopped to help, and one of the dogs bit him.

The man said he worked as a professional dog handler. “Within moments of exiting my vehicle, the operational police dog bit my ankle, breaking the skin on both sides,” he said. He said his protective work boots limited the injury and that he did not want the dogs destroyed. The dogs’ handler brought them back inside, according to the accounts of the incident. Leicestershire Police said officers spoke to both injured people and neither needed hospital treatment.

Leicestershire Police said it had investigated how the dogs escaped and considered the incident isolated. The force said the property usually had appropriate security arrangements. Officers spoke to the handler about keeping the gate secure, the force said. Leicestershire Police said the handler and operational dog would undergo a safety assessment to check that they continued to meet operational standards. The force also reminded other handlers to keep their dogs in secure premises when off duty.