A dog has been euthanised and its owner injured after they were attacked by an XL bully, according to police. It happened in Broadmead Avenue, Northampton, at about 19:20 GMT on New Year's Day. Police said the XL bully attacked a pomeranian and chihuahua cross-breed called Rex being walked by his owner.

A year since new laws restricted the keeping of Xl Bullies in Scotland, there are concerns that another breed is becoming the new “status dog”. The Cane Corso is an Italian breed of mastiff. Weighing up to 50kg, they can have a bite force of 700 psi – stronger than a lion’s, which is 600 psi.

Figures obtained by The Independent showed dog attacks rose by nine per cent in the first five months since the ban was brought in on XL bully dogs

A nine-month-old baby was mailed by an XL Bully last month following a string of horrific attacks across the the country by the dogs

The owner of an XL bully dog which chased and killed a man has been jailed for three years. Ian Langley, 54, was mauled in Shiney Row, near Sunderland, on 3 October 2023, and died in hospital from "catastrophic" neck injuries.

A number of police forces across the UK have reported an increase in attacks by dogs since the XL Bully ban came into force. Police have spent more than £11 million kennelling banned dog breeds since the ban came into force in February as it can cost around £1,000 a month to keep an XL bully in kennels.

Justin Allison's dog Rocco sank its teeth into the girl's arm during a horror attack in Brynmawr, South Wales, on October 7. The 38-year-old has now been jailed for three years