The Leicester Mercury is reporting on the case of a football supporter we are representing after he was bitten by a police dog at a match: https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/dad-two-describes-terrifying-moment-1309524
The Leicester City supporter was left drenched in blood with a 5 inch wound where the police dog sank its teeth in.
He says that the use of such animals at football grounds is disproportionate to the public order risk posed by supporters.
The police dog ignored its handler when it was repeatedly told to let go. And when the dog did finally release our client it went on to bite the police handler, who also required hospital treatment.
The attack took place after Leicester City’s 2-2 home draw with Manchester United on December 23 2017.
Our client was peacefully making his way out of the ground along with a woman and her 12-year-old son when, without warning, the police dog suddenly latched on to his arm.
The Leicester City fan, who the police have admitted was without blame, has since described the police dog as a ‘lethal weapon’. He has been told he will need plastic surgery if he ever wants to get rid of the bite mark to his forearm.
Nottinghamshire Police have stated that its Professional Standards Department is investigating the incident. In the meantime the dog has been taken off operational duties.
The legal case is being dealt with by Slee Blackwell partner, James McNally, who specialises in police dog bites, representing victims nationwide.
James says:
“While Police Dogs are obviously a useful tool in maintaining public order, all too often we have to deal with cases where their deployment is clearly unnecessary and irresponsible. The general public would be shocked if they knew of the number of completely innocent bystanders who get bitten by Police Dogs and who suffer truly horrific and in some cases fatal injuries as a result.
If similar injuries were caused by an officer with a baton there would be uproar. These are big powerful dogs and the harm they inflict can be devastating.
In this case our client was leaving the ground with his friends and family. The Police have confirmed that he did nothing wrong and have suggested that he was simply “in the wrong place at the wrong time”. This is not an acceptable excuse and we will be pursuing a claim for compensation on his behalf accordingly.“
Although the victim has been a life-long Leicester City fan he has not been able to get an adequate response from the club.
“The club,” he said, “need to acknowledge the gravity of the situation and take steps to assure this never happens again.”
If you have been bitten by a police dog then contact our free helpline for guidance on making a claim. Call 0333 888 0435 or send us an email.