Nine-month-old baby killed in dog attack

A nine-month-old baby has been killed in a dog attack in south-east Wales.

Officers and paramedics went to a property on Crossway in Rogiet, near Caldicot, Monmouthshire, at about 18:00 GMT on Sunday.

The dog was seized and removed from the address, Gwent Police said.

Police were working to establish the breed of the animal and no arrests had been made.

Ch Supt John Davies said: “Officers are on scene and will be making further inquiries as the investigation progresses.”

Residents said they were in disbelief at the death of the child, with the community in shock and trying to come to terms with what had happened.

They said they saw police cars and ambulances on the quiet residential street at the time of the incident.

Rogiet county councillor Peter Strong said the village was in mourning.

“It’s a deep and profound sense of shock that such a thing should happen in amidst our quiet community,” he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

“A baby is a deep source of joy and love and to lose a baby in these circumstances is just awful.”

Mr Strong appealed to people to “stay calm, to give the family the space they need to grieve in peace”, adding that villagers would “stand together”.

There was a police presence overnight at the semi-detached house and a police car was parked outside.

Additional reporting by Paul Pigott and James McCarthy